$JES203 First Step of Jainism E3 2005-04-29

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1/144THE FIRST STE POF JAINISMTHE FIRST STE POF JAINISM

The First Step

ofJainism

(JAINA Education Series 203 - Level 2)

Compiled byJAINA Education Committee

Federation of Jain Associations of North America

Education International For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainel


2/144THE FIRST STE POF JAINISM2 THE FIRST STE POF JAINISM2

First Step of Jainism - JES 203(JAINA Education Series 203 - Level 2)Third Edition (revised): April 2005

ISBN: 1-59406-012-6

This book has no copyrightUse the religious material respectfully

Please provide us with your comments and suggestions.

Support JAINA Education activities.

Your contribution is tax deductible in USA.

Published and Distributed by:Federation of Jain Associations in North America

JAINA Education CommitteePravin K. Shah, Chairperson

509 Carriage Woods CircleRaleigh, NC 27607-3969 USA

Telephone and Fax - 919-859-4994Email - [email protected]

Websites - www.jaina.org

Use the above address for communication and for availability of the Education books in other countries




Dedicated

to

Young Jains of America (YJA)

(www.yja.org)

Young Jain Professionals (YJP) and

(www.yjponline.org)

Jain Pthashl Teachers of North America

(www.jaina.org)

for their continued effort and commitment in promoting religious awareness, non-violence,reverence for all life forms, protection of the environment, and a spirit of compassionateinterdependence with nature and all living beings. As importantly, for their commitmentto the practice of Jainism, consistent with our principles, including vegetarianism and analcohol/drug free lifestyle.

Our great appreciation to all the Pthashl Teachers for their effort in instilling the basicvalues of Jainism, and promoting the principles of non-violence and compassion to allyouth and adults.

Special thanks to all Jain Vegan and alcohol/drug-free youth and adults for inspiring us tosee the true connection between our beliefs and our choices.

A vegan and alcohol/drug-free lifestyle stems from a desire to minimize harm to all animalsas well as to our own bodies, minds, and souls. As a result, one avoids the use of all animal

products such as milk, cheese, butter, ghee, ice cream, silk, wool, pearls, leather, meat,fish, chicken, eggs and refrains from all types of addictive substances such as alcohol anddrugs.




AcknowledgementsThe project of compiling, revising, and editing of the existing JAINA Education series books wasaccomplished by a dedicated group of Pthashl teachers, educators, and individuals of North America,India and other parts of the world. The devoted contribution of all these supporters is evident on everypage of this series, and is gratefully acknowledged.

I would like to extend special thanks to the following people who contributed in the revision and publicationof the JAINA Education series Books.

For Guidance:Muni Shri Nandighosh-Vijayji M.S.Muni Shri Ajayasagarji M.S.

For Revising and Editing the Contents:Sudhir & Anita Shah Woodbridge CTPradip & Darshana Shah Chicago ILMukesh Doshi Chicago ILParul Shah Raleigh NC

Harendra Shah San Jose CAJadavji Kenia Dallas TX Neha & Rakesh Jain Columbus OHAlap Shah Chicago ILShanti Mohnot Pittsburgh PAShweta Shah Austin TXRekha Banker Raleigh NCHans Maru - Brookfield CT Nirav Shah (Youth Rep.) Woodbridge CT

For Cover Design: Narendra Velani Chicago ILSudhir & Anita Shah Woodbridge CT

For Artwork:Steven Pancotti New Haven CT

For Layout:Sudhir & Anita Shah Woodbridge CT

For Publishing, Printing, Layout, and Distribution Support:

Virendra Shah Los Angeles CARajendra Mehta Orlando FLLalit Shah Ahmedabad IndiaKusumben Shah Ahmedabad India

Please pardon me if I have missed any contributors.

Pravin K. Shah, ChairpersonJAINA Education Committee




Supporters of JAINA Education Activity

The estimated cost of printing all the education books will be approximately $50,000 to$75,000. We have received enthusiastic support in terms of advance payment from variousJain organizations and contributions from various individuals as follows:

The Support Organizations:Jain Center of Chicago IL $5,000.00Jain Center of Northern California CA $5,000.00Jain Center of New York NY $3,000.00Jain Society of Houston TX $3,000.00Jain Center So. California - Los Angeles $3,000.00Jain Society Detroit $3,000.00Young Jains of UK $2,440.00Jain Center of N.J. - Essex Falls $2,001.00Jain Center of Toronto $1,500.00

Jain Society of Metro Washington DC $1,000.00Jain Society of Dallas TX $1,000.00Jain Center of Boston $1,000.00Jain Society of Pittsburgh PA $1,000.00Jain Society of Greater Cleveland OH $1,000.00Jain Center of Greater Atlanta $1,000.00Jain Study Center NC - Raleigh $ 500.00Jain Center of Minnesota $ 500.00Jain Center of Connecticut $ 500.00Jain Center of Louisiana $ 500.00Tulsa Jain Sangha - Tulsa OK $ 500.00Jain Society of San Diego - CA $ 500.00

Jain Center of Greater Phoenix $ 500.00Jain Sangha of N.J. (Cherry Hill, N.J.) $ 500.00Jain Society of South Louisiana $ 400.00Jain Society of Las Vegas $ 200.00Jain Society of Central Florida $ 180.00Jain Center of Cincinnati/Dayton $ 180.00Jain Society of Oregon $ 101.00

The Benefactors:Riddhi Desai - Houston TXMahendra & Saroj Shah - Detroit MI

Suketu and Hetal Khandhar - Los Angeles CAHemant and Bela Gandhi - Olathe KSSantosh and Bhakti Shah - Gretna LADesingu S. Raja - Charleston WVDilip and Suman Bobra - Tempe AZRaj Kothari - Atlanta GAJungna J. Shah St. Paul MNAshok and Nirmala Shah - Chicago ILSeveral Anonymous individuals




JAINA Education Series Books(3RD Edition Revised)

Pthashl Education Books

Book Number Level Age JAINA Education Series Books Status

JES-101 Level-1 5-9 Jain Activity Book Printed - Complete

JES-103 Level-1 5-9 Jain Alphabet Book Printed - Complete

JES-104 Level-1 5-9 Jain Moral Skits Printed - Complete

JES-201 Level-2 10-12 Jain Sutras and Stavans Phase 2 review complete

JES-202 Level-2 10-12 Jain Story Book Printed - Complete

JES-203 Level-2 10-12 First Step to Jainism Printed - Complete

JES-302 Level-3 13-15 Jain Philosophy and Practice I Printed - Complete

JES-401 Level-4 16 up Jain Philosophy and Practice II Final Review

----------- Level-1 5-9 Tirthankar Game Printed - Complete

Reference Books

JES 901 Jainism Religion of Compassion and Ecology Printed - Complete

JES 911 Essence of World Religions Printed - Complete

JES 921 The Book of Compassion (English) Printed - Complete

JES 922 The Book of Compassion (Gujarati) Printed - Complete




Preface

Jai Jinendra

Non-violence (Ahims) is the backbone and focal point of Jain philosophy. Non-violence,

non-absolutistic viewpoint (Anekntavda), and non-possessiveness/ non-attachment(Aparigraha) are fundamental principles of Jainism. Non-violence strengthens the properconduct of every individual, non-absolutistic viewpoints strengthen the right thinking ofevery individual, and non-possessiveness strengthens the interdependence of all existenceand provides harmony in society. If we observe these three principles in their true spirit,

peace and harmony can certainly be attained within us as well as in the world.

Although not fully introduced to the western world, Jainism is Indias oldest living religion.The basic principles of Jainism are scientific and the truths presented in our scriptures areuniversal; however, their interpretations and applications have to be done in the context of

time and space in which we find ourselves.

In English-speaking countries where many Jains have settled permanently such asthe USA, Canada, the UK, and Africa, children do not have access to Jain educationalmaterial. In an attempt to make Jain principles known globally, the educational materialmust be made widely available in English. It is also necessary to publish Jain literature andeducational material in a variety of media (i.e. books, videos, cassettes, CDs, DVDs, andweb deployment) for English-speaking people interested in Jain philosophy, religion, andscriptures. JAINA Education Committee has taken up this task.

The JAINA Education Committee is pleased to present a set of JAINA Education books(revised 3rd edition) for students of all ages interested in learning Jainism. These books aregrouped into four age levels: Level 1 for elementary, Level 2 for middle school, Level 3 forhigh school, and Level 4 for college students. The entire list of JAINA Education SeriesBooks is listed in this section.

In 1995 and 1997, the first two editions of these books were published by the committeeunder the leadership of Dr. Premchand Gada of Lubbock, Texas. It took several years ofdedicated hard work to compile and publish these series of books. The Jain community of

North America has greatly benefited from this effort.

Under a new JAINA Education committee, this 3rd edition series has gone through majorrevisions incorporating suggestions received from various Pthashl teachers, educators,and students from different centers. The new committee members are Jain Pthashlteachers of various centers and they have spent countless hours in the preparation of thismaterial. Great care has been taken to present the material in a non-sectarian way andincorporate the uniqueness of every Jain sect. Most of the books have been rewritten withthe addition of many new topics. Significant effort has been made to maintain consistency in




the spellings of Jain words. Many youth have helped us in improving the English grammarin these books. The names of people who helped us in the preparation of this series are alsolisted in this section.

Jain scriptures are written using Devangari characters. To pronounce these characters inEnglish correctly, it is necessary to put various diacritical marks on some English vowels

and consonants. However, most internet browsers and word processors do not displayand print all these transliterated characters. The main objective of these books is to teachthe principles of Jainism to Jain youth and lay people who do not have the knowledgeof this transliteration convention. As a result, a simplified diacritical mark scheme has

been adopted for this series. The transliteration used here is neither authentic nor totallyconsistent. While it will serve the purpose of learning Jain principles, this book should not

be used for learning correct pronunciations.

The estimated cost of preparation and reprinting this education series will be $75,000. Wehave received some support in terms of advance payment from various Jain organizationsand contributions from various individuals. We need your financial support to complete the

project. Please support JAINA education activity generously. We distribute the religiousbooks on a cost basis.

Born out of the suggestions from Pthshl level 2 teachers, The First Step of Jainism (JES203 - Level 2) for young children was compiled and coordinated by Sudhir and Anita Shahof Woodbridge, Connecticut. Many topics and games are taken from www.anekant.orgwebsite dedicated to Jain education. This website also contains a teachers aid, interactivetopics, and fun activities for everyone to enjoy and learn from.

We would like to show our appreciation to Balbhadraji for the endless hours of editingdone on content and language.

We greatly appreciate the support provided by Muni Yashovijayji and the artist GokuldasKapadia for allowing us to use some pictures from the book Tirthankar Bhagawn MahvirIllustrated. We would also like to thank Shri Amar Muni and Padma Prakashan for

permitting us to use some pictures from their illustrated gams series. We thank DiwkarPrakashan, Agra for the use of their pictures.

Please note that the JAINA Education committee members are Jain Pthashl teachers and

are not Jain scholars. Hence, you may find some errors in the presentation. Certain itemsmay be applicable to one Jain sect and not applicable to other Jain sects. Please pardonus for any mistakes, oversights, understatements, or overstatements in the material. Werequest you to use and review the material objectively and provide suggestions to enableus to incorporate them easily in future revisions.

In line with Jain Philosophy, the JAINA education series is not copyrighted. However, ifyou need to copy and distribute any of the material, please do it respectfully and on a cost




basis. Please note that most of these books and other material are available on JAINAEducation CD and from the JAINA website - www.jaina.org.

A lot of minds and blessings, both directly and indirectly, have touched this noble project.We sincerely appreciate and thank every person and every organization that made this

project successful. As always, if you have any comments and suggestions for improvement,

please feel free to contact us.If we have mentioned anything against the teachings of the Tirthankars, we ask forforgiveness.

Michchhmi Dukkadam.

Pravin K. Shah, ChairpersonJAINA Education Committee

[email protected] 28, 2005




Pronunciation Guide and a

Disclaimer note on Transliteration

Jain scriptures are written using Devangari characters. To pronounce these characters in

English correctly, it is necessary to put various diacritical marks on some English vowelsand consonants. Scholars usually follow a standard transliteration scheme adopted by theInternational Congress of Orientalists at Athens, Greece in 1912.

However, most Internet browsers and word processors may not display and print alltransliterated characters. The main objective of this Jain education series has been toteach Jain concepts to Jain youth and lay people who do not have the knowledge of thistransliteration convention. As a result, a following simplified scheme has been adopted forthis series.

Only one diacritical mark, two dots over the letter (aa) or (AA) is used to indicatea long vowel sound of letter associated with certain words.

The transliteration used here is neither authentic nor totally consistent. Therefore, while itwill serve the purpose of learning Jain concepts, this book should not be used for learningcorrect pronunciations.

The pronunciation guide is as listed below. The bold letter in each Sanskrit word shouldbe pronounced similarly to the bold letter in each English word. Please do not pronounce (aa) if the letter a but not appears at the end of word such as Karma or Jina.

English vowel English word Sanskrit or Prkrit word

A ago Karma

far tm

E red Deva

I police Jina

O go Ogho

U rule Guru

Note - The Jain Sutra book (JES 201) will have all diacritical marks in the transliterationportion of the original Sutras.




Table of Contents1.0 Stutis 13

1.1 Namaskr Mantra 151.2 Kshampan Sutra 171.3 rati 181.4 Mangal Deevo 191.5 Prayer for Infinity 20

2.0 Basics of Jainism 212.1 Jainism - A Way of Life 232.2 Five Venerable Personalities 26

2.3 Tirthankars 29Samavasaran 30Kalynaks 32

2.4 Jain Temple 342.5 Swastika (Sthiy) 362.6 Soul (tm) 382.7 Karma 432.8 Dos and Donts 45

3.0 Life of Bhagawn Mahvir 473.1 Previous Lives 493.2 Birth and Childhood 493.3 Renunciation 533.4 Keval-jnn and Nirvana 573.5 Preachings 60

4.0 Jain Festivals 614.1 Mahvir Jayanti 63

4.2 Paryushan/Dash Lakshana 644.3 Diwli 66

5.0 Living Values 695.1 Anger/Forgiveness 71

The Angry Boy 73Chandkaushik 76




5.2 Ego/Humility 79 Hare and the Tortoise 80 Bhubali 82 5.3 Deceit/Honesty 84 The Honest Woodcutter 86 King Hans 88 5.4 Greed/Contentment 90 The Greedy Spider 92 Kapil Muni 93 5.5 Compassion 96 Meghakumr 98 5.6 Friendship 100 Androcles and the Lion 102 5.7 Perseverance 104 The Little Engine That Could 106 5.8 Self Reliance 108 The Little Red Hen 110

6.0 Jainism in Action 113 6.1 Conscious Consumer 115 Eggs 116 Pearls 118 Silk 120 Varakh 122 6.2 Environment 123 6.3 Nutrition, Health and Spirituality 126 6.4 Yoga, Health and Spirituality 130 Eye Exercises 131 Tadsan 132 Trikonsan 133 Padmsan 134 Vajrsan 135 Supta Vajrsan 136 Shashaksan 136 Bhujangsan 137 Dhanursan 138

7.0 Glossary 139




1.0 Stutis




Jain Tirthankar in meditative posture




}yJnamo arihantnam |

}ShJnamo siddhnam |

}Jnamo yariynam | }Jnamo uvajjhynam |

}HSSJnamo loe savvashnam |

S}UJeso pancha namukkro |

SSJsavvapvappansano |

}xHSSmangalnam cha savvesim

}}xHJJpadhamam havai mangalam ||

I bow to Arihantas (Tirthankars), the perfected human souls, who have reached enlightenmentby overcoming their inner weaknesses, who have attained infinite knowledge, perception,bliss, and power and have shown the path, which brings an end to the cycle of birth, life,death and suffering.

I bow to Siddhas, the liberated souls, who have attained the state of perfection andimmortality by eradicating all karma.

I bow to chryas, who are the head of Jain congregation and preach the principles ofreligion and show the path of liberation, which is the unity of Right Faith, Right Knowledge,and Right Conduct.

I bow to Updhyys who are the ascetic teachers. They explain Jain scriptures and showus the importance of a spiritual life over a material life.

I bow to all Sdhus and Sdhvis who strictly follow the five great vows of conduct andinspire us to live a simple life.

To these five types of great souls, I offer my praise.

Such praise will help diminish my negative vibrations and sins.Offering this praise is most auspicious of all benedictions.

In short,I bow and seek inspiration from perfected human souls, liberated souls, enlightenedascetic leaders, ascetic teachers, and all monks and nuns in the world who practice non-violence (Ahims), truthfulness, non-stealing, celibacy, and non-possessiveness in theirconduct, non-absolutistic viewpoint (Anekntavda) in their thinking.

1.1 Namaskr Mantra




Anger destroys peace of mind. Forgiveness makes angers poison ineffective.Also, forgiveness makes a small person great. So, learn to forgive. Learn to

give Ksham




1.2 Kshampan Sutra

Khmemi Savva Jive,Savve Jiv Khamantu Me,Mitti Me Savva Bhuesu,Veram Majjha Na Kenai.

`ameim sVv @vesVve @va `m&tu meimI me sVv -uAesu

v er & mJz n ke8:

`ameim sVv @vesVve @va `m&tu me imI me sVv -uAesu

ver & mjz n ke8:

I Grant Forgiveness to All Living Beings,And All Living Beings Grant Me Forgiveness,

My Friendship Is With All Living Beings,My Enmity Is Totally Non-Existent.




jy jy AartI Aaid ij8&da,nai-raya mdevI ko n&da ||

phelI AartI p Uja kIje,nr-v pamIne Lhavo lIje ||

dUsrI AartI dIn dyala,0Uleva m&Dpma& jg Ajvala ||

tIsrI AartI i-uvn deva,sur nr ;Nd kre torI seva ||

cO9I AartI cOgtI cur e,mn va &i2t fl i=vsu` pUr e ||

p &cmI AartI p u*y wpayo,

mUXc&d e q- gu8 gayo ||

Jaya Jaya rati di Jinand ;

Nbhiry Mru Devi Ko Nand

Paheli rati Puj Kije ;

Narabhava Pmi Ne Lhvo Lije

Dusari rati Dina Dayl ;

Dhulev Mandap M Jaga Ajavl

Tisari rati Tribhuvana Dev;Sura Nara Indra Kare Tori Sev

Chauthi rati Chaugati Chure;

Mana Vanchita Fala Shiva Sukh Pure

Panchami rati Punya Upyo;

Mulachande Rushabha Guna Gyo

1.3 rati

With this lightened lamp (rati ), I praise the victorious Lord dinth, beloved son of KingNbhi and Queen Mrudevi.

With the firstrati, I am participating in an auspicious activity in this human life.

With the second rati, I praise Lord dinth, who was merciful to all and whose virtuesenlightened the entire world.

With the third rati, I recognize that Lord dinth, the Lord of the three universes, isworshipped by celestial beings, humans and kings.

With the fourthrati, I desire to end my wandering in the four life forms (Human, Animaland Plants, Heavenly being and Hellish being) and to obtain the desirable eternal happinessof Moksha.

With the fifthrati, according to Poet Mulchand, by praising the virtues of Lord Rishabhadev( dinth ), the worshipper accumulates Punya ( good Karma ).




1.4 Mangal DeevodIvo, dIvo, dIvo r e, m&gilk dIvo r e,AartI wtar8 re, bhu icr&jIvo r e ||

soham8& u 0 er pv R idvaXI,A&br `ele r e, Amra baXI r e ||

dIpal -8e Ae8e kul AjvaXI,-ave -Kte r e, iv0n invarI r e ||

dIpal -8e Ae8e Ae klIkale,AartI wtarI r e, raja kumarpale r e ||

Am 0er m&gilk, tum 0er m&gilk,

m&gilk ctuiv R0 r e, s&0ne hojo r e ||

O Lord! On this auspicious occasion we worship you with a lamp, Long live the performerof the rati.

Performing rati is as blissful as the occasion of Diwli at our house, and as if the heavenlybeings are dancing with joy.

Devotees who perform rati make their families proud and overcome obstacles.

The poet (Dipl) says that in Kaliyug, King Kumrpl performed the ratiLet there be auspiciousness in our house, in your house and in the entire community.

Deevo, Deevo, Deevo Re Mangalika Deevo Re

rati Utrana Re, Bahu Chiranjivo Re

Sohmanu Ghera Parva Diwli

Ambar Khele Re, Amarbli Re

Dipl Bhane Ene Kul Ajavli

Bhve Bhakte Re, Vighan Nivri Re

Dipl Bhane Ene E Kaliklerati Utri Re, Rj Kumrple Re

Am Gher Mangalika Tum Gher Mangalika

Mangalika Chaturvidh Re, Sanghane Hojo Re




1.5 Prayer for InfinityI strive for Infinite POWER to change the impossible to possible.

I strive for Infinite COURAGE to seek out and conquer fear and other related

blockages in my own world.

I strive for Infinite COMPASSION to easily understand and accept the hearts ofall others as part of my development.

I strive for Infinite ENERGY to continue doing only my very best in allcircumstances.

I strive for Infinite SINCERITY in all the things I say, do, think and create.

I strive for Infinite DETERMINATION to stay on the courses I choose to theirfruition.

I strive for Infinite STRENGTH in times of adversity and triumph, when I ammost vulnerable.

I strive for Infinite PERSEVERANCE to penetrate and overcome my obstacles.

I strive for Infinite UNDERSTANDING to work towards the Enlightenment of allHumanity.

I strive for Infinite WISDOM to know when to share the needed words at theneeded time.

I strive for Infinite GRATITUDE for the Universe and everything in it.

I strive for Infinite BELIEF in my ability to make dreams come true.

- Author Unknown




2.0 Basics of Jainism




Jain religion is not blind faith. Nor is it emotional worship inspired by fear orwonder. It is the intuition of the inherent purity of consciousness, will and bliss

of the self.

-Dr. Nathmal Tatia




Jains

Jains are the followers of Jinas

Jina means victors Jinas are the victors over their inner

passions (Kashyas) which are Anger(Krodha), Ego (Mna), Deceit (My),and Greed (Lobha)

Jinas are also called Tirthankars orArihantas, and they are Gods in thehuman forms

Tirthankar

Tirthankars establish the four-foldorder of Jain congregation, whichare Sdhus, Sdhvis, Shrvaks, andShrviks.

There are 24 Tirthankars in everyascending and descending time cycle.

Jains follow the teachings ofTirthankars

Concept of God in Jainism

Every soul in its purest form is calledSiddha and is a God. Arihantas are Godin the human form

Every soul creates its own destiny

Every soul is equal and is capable ofbecoming God

The way to become a God is to get ridof all Karma by removing anger, ego,deceit and greed from our self

Jains do not believe in God as a creator,destroyer or preserver of the universe

Religion

Any activity of thought, speech or action

Jainism is anindependent

religion with atleast 5,000 yearsof known history.

2.1 Jainism - A Way of Lifethat helps us get rid of our vices/innerenemies such as anger, ego, deceit and greedis a Jain religious activity.

Main Principles/Tenets

Ahims(non-violence)

Anekntavda (non-absolutism orpluralistic view points)

Aparigraha (non-possessiveness)

Ahims (Non-Violence)

Ahims, or non-violence, is a very broadsubject. Jains believe that all life formshave a soul, and all souls are basically equaland should be treated with respect. Thisteaches us universal love and compassiontowards all living beings. Violence can becommitted in three ways thoughts, wordsand actions.

Violent actions are obviously harmfulto both, the doer and the receiver.

Violent words leave permanent scarsin the heart and the mind of the other

person.

JAINISM - A WAYOF LIF E

Did you know?




Glossarygam

AhimsAnekntavda

AparigrahaJina

KarmaKashyaKrodhaLobhaMnaMy

Tirthankar

As thoughts are the root cause of wordsand actions, violent thoughts that mayor may not result in violent actions areconsidered bad because they do themost damage to your soul.

Vegetarianism is just an expression of thisbelief of compassion for all living beings.

Anekntavda (Non-Absolutism)

Understanding truth from variousstandpoints is Anekntavda. Consideringour limited scope of arriving at completetruth, Jainism presents the theory that truthis relative to the viewpoint from which it is

known. All knowledge is multi-sided andtrue only from a limited perspective. Oncewe acquire this attitude, we will always betolerant of others viewpoints and willingto learn from it. Accepting partial truthin each one sided view we can lead a lifeof partnership and participation, a life offriendliness and harmony.

Aparigraha (Non-attachment/Non-

possessiveness)Possession of material things is external

possession. Attachment to material thingsand people is internal possession. Bothcan lead to anger, ego, deceit and greed.Attachment is the cause of all our problems.The practice of non-attachment leads toequanimity in our lives, which is necessaryfor the salvation of our soul.

Karma Theory (Law of cause & effect)

The soul is like a magnet

Karma is like iron particles

Our Kashya (anger, greed, deceit andego) attract these particles to the soulwhich get bound to the soul. Due

to this continuous accumulation ofKarma, the soul has to pass through thecycles of birth and death.

Our goal is to get rid of all previouslyattracted particles and stop attracting

new particles like demagnetization We do this through knowledge,equanimity, tolerance, penance, self-control, forgiveness, repentance,reverence, compassion, service,meditation and renunciation.

Texts/Scriptures

The Jain scriptures called gams arebased on the teachings of Mahvir-swmi. They are composed in Ardha-Mgadhi Prkrit language, the commonlanguage during the time of Mahvir-swmi.

There are many other works bynoted chryas, Updhyys, Sdhus,Sdhvis, and scholars throughouthistory, which go into the details of

every aspect of life.

BASICSOF JAINISM




The Navakr Mantra is the most important prayer in Jainism. While reciting theprayer we bow respectfully to the Arihantas

(Tirthankars or Jinas), Siddhas, chryas,Updhyys, and all Sdhus and Sdhvis.Collectively, they are called the PanchaParamesthis (five great entities).

Arihantas

Arihantas are perfected human beings. Theword Arihanta is made of two words: Ariwhich means enemies, and Hant whichmeans destroyer. Therefore, Arihanta meansdestroyer of enemies. These enemiesare our vices or inner weaknesses (our

passionate emotions) namely anger, ego,deceit and greed. Until we overcome theseweaknesses, the true nature of our soul willnot be realized. When a person conquersthese inner enemies, he/she completelydestroys his/her fourGhtiKarmas.

Ghti Karmas are destructive Karmas thatdirectly obstruct the true nature of the soul.They are Jnnvaraniya karma (knowledge

obscuring karma), Darshanvaraniya karma(Perception obscuring karma), Mohaniyakarma (deluding karma), and Antaryakarma (obstacle creating karma). A

person, after the removal of Ghti Karma,attains Keval-jnn (omniscience), and isknown as a Kevali. Now, He has infiniteknowledge, infinite perception, infinite

power and infinite bliss. He is free from allimpurities.

Siddhas

Jainism classifies allKarma into eight majorcategories. Four of them are Ghti Karmaand they are removed first when a person

becomes Kevali or Arihanta. The remainingfour are Aghti Karma, namely Vedaniya

2.2 Five Venerable Personalities

The true victoris one who has

conquered his/her inner enemieslike anger, ego,deceit and greed

BASICSOF JAINISM

Did you know?




(feeling pertaining karma), Nm (bodystructure determining karma), Gotra (statusdetermining karma) and yushya (life spandetermining karma). They are responsiblefor environment for our happiness andunhappiness, our body, social status andlife span. When the Kevalis destroy theremaining four Aghti Karma, they becomeSiddhas.

Siddhas are liberated souls. They are pureconsciousness and do not possess a body.They have ended the cycle of birth and death.They have attained salvation. They do nothave any type of past karma and they do not

acquire any new karma. This state of purefreedom is called Liberation in Jainism. Thecrescent arc above the swastika represents

Siddhashil. Siddhas reside in the space(above the crescent moon) calledMoksha.

chryas

chryas are spiritual leaders and head ofthe Jain congregation. They have acquireda high level of spiritual excellence. The

teachings of Lord Mahvir are carried on by the chryas. They are responsiblefor the spiritual welfare of the entire Jaincongregation. Generally they know variouslanguages and have a sound knowledgeof other philosophies and religions of theworld.

Updhyys

FIV E VENERABLE PERSONALITIES




Updhyys are ascetics who have attainedmastery of the Jain gams (scriptures).They possess good knowledge of otherscriptures and philosophical systems. Theyteach Jain scriptures to monks and nunsand other desiring aspirants; and they arean authority on scriptural knowledge in thecongregation.

Sdhus and Sdhvis

When householders become detachedfrom all worldly aspects of life and wantto pursue spiritual upliftment for the restof their lives, they give up their worldly

External renunciation is meaningless

if the soul remains fettered

by internal shackles.

- Bhva-phuda, 13

He who is indifferent to the material

world has no grief.He is not affected by the miseries

of the world.

He is like the unsullied lotus

which rises above muddy water.

- Uttardhyayan Sutra 32:99

Glossary

chryaAghti

ArihantaGhti

Karma

Keval-jnnMokshaSdhuSdhviSiddha

SiddhashilUpdhyya

BASICSOF JAINISM

attachments, family relationships, and allpossessions and become monks and nuns.Sdhus and Sdhvis follow the five greatvows: Non-violence (Ahims), Truth(Satya), Non-stealing (Asteya), Celibacy(Brahmacharya) and Non-possessiveness(Aparigraha); and live a simple, pious andcompassionate life.

The worship of these five venerablepersonalities is for removing attachment andaversion to purify our soul. By meditatingon their pure qualities we remind ourselvesdaily of the possibility of attaining thehighest state through right efforts.




Tirthankaris an Arihanta, who re-establishesthe Jain religious order (congregation)comprising of monks, nuns, laymen, and

laywomen. During each half time cycle, 24souls rise to become Tirthankars.

The first Tirthankar of our period isRishabhadev (dinth), and the twenty-fourth and last Tirthankar is Mahvir-swmi,who lived from 599 BC to 527 BC.

Tirthankars were human beings like us whohave gone through the cycle of birth anddeath, accumulating Karma. One of theKarma they earn is the Tirthankar Nm-karma. One acquires this Nm-karma byhaving an intense desire of spreading themessage of compassion towards all living

beings, anekntavda, non-possessivenessand self control to all living beings.

This Nm-karma is determined two lives prior to the life they attain Moksha. Thiskarma matures in the third life where they

attain Keval-jnn.For example, Shntinth Bhagawnattained Tirthankar Nm-karma in the tenthlife (Bhav) when he was born as PrinceMegharath. He attained Keval-jnn in histwelfth life (Bhav) as Shntinth.

After attaining Keval-jnn, Tirthankars re-establish a four-fold Jain order known asChaturvidha Sangha, consisting of Sdhus,Sdhvis, Shrvaks, and Shrviks. They re-organize the religious conducts to suit thechanging times.

A Tirthankar is also known as Arihanta orJina.

2.3 Tirthankars

In every halftime-cycle,there are 24Tirthankars

TIRTHANKARS

Megharath sacrificing himself to save the pigeon

Did you know?




SamavasaranSamavasaran (assembly Hall) is a placefrom where Tirthankars preach religious

sermons to the people.The Samavasaran is a three-layeredcircular structure with a sacred Ashok treeat its center. It is created for a Tirthankarssermon soon after he attainsKeval-jnn.

The Samavasaran is either circular orsquare. There are three enclosures. Thelowest one is made of silver, the middle one

is made of gold, and the uppermost is madeof precious stones like diamonds. The lowermost enclosure serves as a parking groundfor the conveyances of heavenly beings andhuman beings, the middle one is meant foranimals, and the third and the uppermost forheavenly beings and human beings.

The sermon is delivered to hundreds ofanimals and a vast throng of heavenly gods,

ascetics and lay people.During the sermon a Tirthankar always

presided facing East but the Devas (heavenlygods) created three replicas of him facingother three directions, so that the assemblyof heavenly beings, humans and animals

Glossary

Keval-jnnSamavasaran

All sermons of

a Tirthankarafter Keval-jnnare given in aSamavasaran

BASICSOF JAINISM

Did you know?

Samavasaran for a Tirthankar




The Samavasaran is depicted as a square or a circle. Thereare clear affinities between this and the pattern of certain

auspicious diagrams.

TIRTHANKARS

could see and listen to a Tirthankars sermonin harmony. Tradition has it that once anArihanta (Jina) attains Keval-jnn he givessermons several times a day in the locallanguage of the people, which was Ardha-mgadhi Prkrit.

Grand Entrance of the Samavasaran arranged by theheavenly beings or devas




KalynaksJains celebrate five major events (Pancha

Kalynak) of the life of a Tirthankar:

1 Conception Event (Chyavana

Kalynak)This is the event when a Tirthankarssoul is conceived in the motherswomb.

After conception, the mother hasfourteen dreams (Digambar tradition

believes that there are 16 dreams)

2 Birth Event (Janma Kalynak)

This is the event when a Tirthankaris born. After birth, Indra (king ofheaven) takes the baby to Mount Meruand celebrates the birth of a Tirthankar,(Janma Abhisheka ceremony).

3 Renunciation Event (DikshKalynak)

In this event, the would-be Tirthankargives up all worldly possessions andfamily relationships. He initiates

himself into the ascetic order.

Jains celebrate

the five majorevents inthe life of aTirthankar

BASICSOF JAINISM

4 Omniscience Event (Keval-jnnKalynak)

This is the event when a Tirthankarbecomes free of the four Ghti Karmaby the practice of severe discipline,penance and meditation, and attainsKeval-jnn.

Celestial angels (Devas) set up theSamavasaran (assembly hall) for theevery sermon by the Tirthankar. Thisis the most important event as theTirthankar reinstates the Jain order(Sangha) and preaches the Jain path ofliberation. Sermons are attended byDevas, ascetics, laity and animals.

Five major events in a Tirthankars life

Did you know?




Vardhamn Mahvir-swmi(Rhyme Yankee Doodle)

Mahvir-swmi sitting stillDeep in meditation

Concentrated on his soulAnd he reached liberation

Chorus:Vardhamn Mahvir-swmi

Great courageous HeroShowed us all what we must do

To make our Karma zero.

The enlightened should contemplatethat his soul is endowed with boundless

capabilities.

- Mahvir (Niyamasra, 96)

Only the one who has transcended fearcan experience equanimity.

- Mahvir (Sutrakritnga 1/2/2/17)

Glossary

Chyavana Kalynak

Diksh KalynakJanma KalynakKeval-jnn Kalynak

Nirvana KalynakPancha Kalynak

Tirthankar

TIRTHANKARS

Posture of Mahvir-swmi when he attained omniscience.

5 Nirvana Event (Nirvana Kalynak)

This is the event when a Tirthankar isliberated from the cycle of birth anddeath, and becomes a Siddha. TheTirthankar destroys the remaining four

Aghti Karma, and is now free from allKarma.




A temple is a place of worship where a personexperiences immense peace and serenity.The idols of Tirthankars and the templesenvironment promote introspection, and

bring home the feeling that God resideswithin ones own soul. Therefore, each

person can follow a path of purification ofthe inner self, devoid of anger, ego, deceit,

and greed.

2.4 Jain TempleA Jain temple is a beautiful, quiet and

peaceful place to reflect upon our nature

and soul. Many Jains visit a templeregularly while others visit an Upshrayaor Sthnak for meditation. Upshraya isalso a residence of Sdhus and Sdhvis.

We should go to a temple in clean, simpleclothes. We should not wear pearls, silk,fur and leather as they are obtained bykilling oysters, worms and animals. Beforeentering the temple we must take off ourshoes.

When we enter the temple we say Nissihi,meaning to leave behind. This means that

by mind, speech and action we are leavingall our worldly relations outside the temple,which in turn results in leaving our vices orKashyas which are anger, ego, deceit andgreed.

We must not eat, drink or chew anything inthe temple, nor should we run-around, shout,talk to others, or socialize in the temple.

A donation box in a temple promotesanonymous giving.

GlossaryNissihi

SthnakUpshraya

Temple is

any place thatprovides a cleanpeaceful placefor introspection

BASICSOF JAINISM

Did you know?

Temple at Hastinpur, UP




The idol (murti) represents the qualities of aTirthankar but not the physical body. Hencethe idols of all Tirthankars are similar. Each

Tirthankar has a unique emblem or symbol(Lnchhan) that distinguishes the idol fromthe idols of other Tirthankars. This symbolis found on the base of each idol.

An idol of a Jina either sitting in lotus posture or standing straight, illustrates aform of deepest meditation. The face andeyes shower us with compassion and inspirecalmness within us.

If one looks at the picture of the idol here,the lnchhan (emblem or symbol) of a bull isvery clearly visible at the base, showing usthat it is the idol of dinth or Rishabhadev

Idol (Murti)

GlossaryDigambarLnchhan

MurtiShvetmbar

the first Tirthankar.

Usually an idol is carved from marble orcast from metal.

InShvetmbarsects the idols of Tirthankarsare beautifully decorated with the eyesopen.

In Digambarsect the idols of Tirthankarsare in their natural undecorated form withtheir eyes semi-closed in meditation.

Lnchhans help inidentifying the idols.All Tirthankars have

the same qualities andhence all idols look

alike.

JAI N TEMPLE

Idol of Shvetmbar tradition

Idol of Digambar tradition

Did you know?




The Sanskrit word Swastika means wellbeing. The Swastika orSthiyis a symbol

of well being.

The four arms of the Swastika show the fourstates of existence orGatis of the embodiedsouls:

1 Human beings (Manushya)

Jains believe that one can attainliberation only by being born as human

being. Humans have the ability tothink and reason. Their ability toeliminate karma through self-control(Sanyam), austerity (Tapa) andmeditation can lead them to liberation.

2 Heavenly beings (Devas)

Heavenly beings have superiorcapabilities and more material pleasurecompared to human beings. This life

of pleasure is not permanent. Theycannot adopt restraints or eliminateall attachments (Rga) or aversions(Dvesha).

Therefore, there is no liberation from theheavenly life and such heavenly beingswill have to be reborn as human beingsin order to attain liberation.

3 Animal and Plant Beings (Tiryancha)

Living beings in Tiryancha categoryinclude animals, birds, and all typesof plants. These are viewed as living

beings of a lower consciousness.Although some animals may be capableof a certain degree of thinking, overallthere is a great degree of passivity

2.5 Swastika (Sthiy)

The Swastikareminds us ofthe four states of

existence

BASICSOF JAINISM

Did you know?

Human BeingsHeavenly Beings

Animals andPlants

Hellish Beings




and dependency in their life. In short,their life is not conducive to attainingliberation or Moksha.

4 Hellish Being (Nraki)

As a hellish being in Narak one is

continuously fighting, causing moresuffering to others and living in misery.Such a life is therefore unsuitable forspiritual pursuit.

Thus, out of these four Gatis (realms) it isonly from a human life, through spiritual

pursuit, can one free oneself from the cycle

of birth and attain liberation.In the above four states of existence we are

born, we grow old and we die. In order toovercome the cycle of worldly existencewe should strive to attain EnlightenedIntuition (Samyak Darshan), EnlightenedKnowledge (SamyakJnn) and EnlightenedConduct (Samyak Chritra). The threedots above the Swastika denote these three

jewels described in Jainism.

The inherent qualities of the soul are infiniteknowledge, infinite perception, infiniteenergy and infinite bliss. These qualitiesare obscured by our karma. For example,if we have a dirty window we cannot seethrough it. As soon as we wipe it clean wecan see through the window and the beauty

on the other side. Similarly, if we clean andremove the dirt (Karma) from our soul wecan reveal and see its true qualities.

The crescent moon on top of the Swastikarepresents the resting place of the pure,liberated soul (Siddhashil or Siddha-loka).

During Puj, we use only household, de-husked rice (Akshat) to make the Swastika.All grains, except de-husked rice, growwhen planted. Like de-husked rice, we donot want to be reborn. We want to end thecycle of birth and death as it is the root causeof worldly misery.

The Swastika is created from rice in thetemple to symbolize and point the way toliberation.

Glossary

AkshatChritraDarshan

DevaDveshaGatiJnn

ManushyaNarakRga

SamyakSanyam

SthiySiddha-loka

SwastikaTapa

Tiryancha

SWASTIKA (STHIY)




What is Soul? Where is it? What color isit? What shape is it? Does it really exist?If it does exist why do we not see the Soul?

Undoubtedly, we believe in the existence ofmatter. We can see it and detect it aroundus. We usually tend to believe only whatwe see, hear, feel, touch or smell.

The presence of certain objects or phenomenon is, in many cases, beyondthe scope of our senses. For example, wecannot see the air and electricity but werealize their existence by their operations.

Similarly, the existence of soul ortmcanbe realized by its operations.

Jains believe that the difference between aliving being and a nonliving object is thatthe living being has a soul and a nonlivingobject does not. The eternal question ofWHO AM I? automatically establishesthe existence of a soul. The distinguishingquality of the soul is consciousness (Chetan)i.e. awareness of existence, feelings andthoughts.

The Inherent Qualities of the Soul

Infinite Knowledge (Anant Jnn)

The Soul is an ocean of intelligence.

The Soul is an ocean of knowledge.

Nothing is hidden from the Soul.

Nothing is unknown to the Soul.

Infinite Perception (AnantDarshan)

Just as the Soul knows everything, itsees, feels, and observes everything.

Infinite Happiness (AnantSukh)

The Soul is never angry, mad, or sad.The natural state of a Soul is bliss.

Infinite Energy (AnantVirya)

When the Soul becomes non-attached,it has infinite power.

In a pure Soul, there is infinite powerand limitless capacity.

These are the inherent qualities of the soul

and do not come from outside. But karmicmatter clouds and obscures these qualitiesand capabilities. Upon destruction andremoval of the karmic bondage the qualitiesof the soul shine forth.

All souls are capable of attaining liberation(Moksha).

2.6 Soul (tm)

Glossary

Ananttm

DarshanJnnSukhVirya

The inherentqualities of the

soul are Infiniteknowledge,

perception, energyand bliss.

BASICSOF JAINISM

Did you know?




tm, tm, Inner Star(Rhyme Twinkle, Twinkle little Star)

tm, tm, Inner Star,How I wonder what you are?

Let me solve the mystery.By living Jain way daily.tm, tm, Inner Star,

Soon Ill know just what you are.

tm, tm, Inner Star,

I want to know just what you are?Being Jain will help me see,

Clearly what is really me.tm, tm, Inner Star,

Soon Ill know just what you are

tm, tm, Inner Star,How to know just what you are?

Meditation and philosophy,Helps me solve the mystery.

tm, tm, Inner Star,Soon Ill know just what you are.

tm, tm, Inner Star,Now I know just what you are.

Eternal bliss is really me,

Free for all eternity.

tm, tm, Inner Star,Now I know just what you are.




All objects that we are surrounded by areeither living beings or non-living things.All animals and plants are living beings. A

cat playing with a ball is obviously livingwhile the ball is non-living. A pigeon flyingfrom tree to tree is a living being and so arethe trees.

Sometimes it is not so easy to decide becauseplants are living things but they do not playwith balls or fly!

Non-living things (Ajiva)

A doll, a chair or a glass are all non-living

things. Most non-living things are parts ofor are derived from those who were onceliving things. Coal is a good example. Itwas formed when trees died and sank intothe soft ground. This happened manymillions of years ago when the earth wascovered with forests. Paper is non-living

but it is made from trees. Peanut butter andJelly are also non-living but they were madefrom the fruit of a plant.

Living Beings (Jiva)

In the universe, there are different formsof life such as human beings, animals,insects, plants, bacteria, and even smallerlives that cannot be seen through the most

powerful microscopes of today. Jainismhas classified all the living beings into two

broad categories:

1 Non-mobile or Sthvar Jiva - are thosethat are stationary and cannot move ontheir own.

2 Mobile or Trasa Jiva are those thatcan move on their own.

All living beings are classified accordingto the number of senses (Indriya) they

possess. There are total five senses: touch,

taste, smell, sight, and hearing.

All Non-Mobile (Sthvar) Jivas are single-sensed beings. These Jivas have only thesense of touch and are calledEkendriya.

Classification

The amountof Hims

is dependenton the level ofconsciousness(senses) of theharmed soul

BASICSOF JAINISM

Did you know?




According to Jain Classification one-senseliving beings (Ekendriya Jiva) are furtherclassified into the following five sub-categories:

a Prithvikya - Living beings that have

Earth as a bodyb Apkya - Living beings that have

Water as a body

c Teukya - Living beings that have Fireas a body

d Vyukya - Living beings that haveAir as a body

e Vanaspati-kya - Living beings that

have Plant as a body

It is well known that plants grow, reproduce,etc., and they are accepted as living beings.Trees, plants, branches, flowers, leaves,and seeds are some examples of plant life.The Sanskrit term for plant is Vanaspati andtherefore such Jiva is called Vanaspati-kya

Jiva.Jains also believe that earth, water, fire, andair have life.

All mobile Jivas (Trasa Jivas) are multi-sensed beings. These two, three, four andfive sensed beings are classified into thefollowing categories:

Two sensed beings (Beindriya Jiva):

Two sensed beings have the senses of touchand taste. Examples are shells, worms,insects, microbes in stale food, etc.

Three sensed beings (Treindriya Jiva)

Three sensed beings have the senses oftouch, taste and smell. Examples are bugs,lice, white ants, centipedes, moths, andinsects in wheat and other grains, etc.

Four sensed beings (Chaurindriya Jiva):

SOU L




Four sensed beings have the senses oftouch, taste, smell and sight. Examples arescorpions, crickets, spiders, silk worms,

beetles, locusts, flies, etc.

Five sensed beings (Panchendriya Jiva):

Five sensed beings have all the five sensesof touch, taste, smell, sight and hearing.Examples are human beings, heavenly

beings, hellish beings, animals, fish, birds,etc. Five-sensed beings also possess amind.

Why is this knowledge important?

Life cannot exist without food to eat andwe cannot have food without some sort ofviolence. However, as Jains, we believe inminimizing violence. It is more harmful ifwe kill a life of a higher consciousness (morethan one sense). According to Jainism,

the degree of Hims is dependent on thedevelopment of the senses of the soul that iskilled. Thus, killing one soul having moresenses is more violent and harmful thankilling many souls with one sense and hencelower consciousness. Based on this belief,eating many vegetables is a less violentact than killing one animal for food. Allfoods, except vegetables, fruits and grains,are obtained by killing or harming a living

being with two or more senses. Therefore,Jainism promotes consumption of onlyvegetarian foods (non-animal products).

Glossary

ApkyaBeindriya

ChaurindriyaEkendriya

HimsIndriya

PanchendriyaPrithvikya

SthvarTeukya

TrasaTreindriya

VanaspatikyaVyukya

BASICSOF JAINISM




Karma is the key to a Souls destiny andis based on the Natural Law of cause andeffect. There are consequences for all ourthoughts, words and actions. Our Kashya

anger, ego, deceit and greed - bind karmato our soul. The famous saying, everythingthat goes around comes around, perfectlydescribes the Theory of karma.

This is the theory which gives us anexplanation as to how certain characteristicsor factors of our individuality, which wehave at present, are direct results of forces

generated in the past. Simply put it is the lawof nature: what you sow, so shall you reap.This reaping does not necessarily occur inthe same lifetime. In addition, sowing is notrestricted to verbal and physical acts alone.Thoughts even though they may not be putinto action do affect your karma.

Karmas are broadly classified into twogroups:

a) Destructive (Ghti) Karma

b) Non-destructive (Aghti) Karma

Ghti means destruction. Those Karma thatdestroy the true nature of the Soul are called

destructive or Ghti Karma.

They are:

1 Knowledge-Obscuring(Jnnvaraniya) Karma

2 Perception-Obscuring(Darshanvaraniya) Karma

3 Deluding (Mohaniya) Karma (Thiskarma is responsible for creating Rgaand Dvesha)

4 Obstacle creating (Antarya) Karma

Those Karma that do not destroy the true

nature of the soul but are responsible forphysical body, life span and social standing,are called non-destructive or AghtiKarma:

5 Feeling Pertaining (Vedaniya) Karma

6 Body Determining (Nm) Karma

7 Status Determining (Gotra) Karma

8 Life-span Determining (yushya)

KarmaUnderstanding karma theory gives us hopethat through our own efforts we can liberateourselves from the bondage of karma.Karma is the mechanism through which wecan shape our own destiny.

2.7 Karma

Our Kashyabinds karma to

our soul!

KARMA

Glossary

Antaryayushya

DarshanvaraniyaGotra

JnnvaraniyaMohaniya

NmVedaniya

Did you know?




One song can spark a momentOne flower can wake a dream

One tree can start a forest

One bird can herald spring

One smile begins a friendship

One handclasp lifts a soul

One star can guide a ship at seaOne word can frame the goal

One vote can change a nationOne sunbeam lights a room

One candle wipes out darknessOne laugh will conquer gloom

One step must start each journeyOne word must start a prayer

One hope will raise our spiritsOne touch can show you care

One voice can speak with wisdomOne heart can know what is true

One soul can make a differenceYour life belongs to you

The Power of OneBASICSOF JAINISM




DOs

1 Recite the Navakr Mantra daily.

2 Respect your parents, teachers, andelders.

3 Be kind to other people as well as to allanimals, insects and plants.

4 Be polite. Always remember pleaseand thank you.

5 Have courage to accept your ownmistakes and say I am sorry.

6 Be tolerant and forgiving to others.

7 Share your toys and books with yourfriends.

8 Be honest and truthful with yourselfand with others.

9 Give generously without anyexpectation.

10 Be willing to help others in every wayyou can.

11 Believe in yourself and your ability toreach greatness.

12 Go to Pthashl on a regular basisand learn how Jainism can help you

become a better person.

DONTs

1 Do not hurt humans, animals, plants, orinsects.

2 Do not lie, cheat or steal.

3 Do not use foul language or bedisrespectful.

4 Do not get angry. Do not shout orscream at anyone.

5 Do not gossip or criticize others behindtheir back.

6 Do not look down upon others. Do nottease or make fun of others.

7 Do not judge people.

8 Do not blame others when things donot go your way.

9 Do not be greedy. Be thankful forwhat you have.

10 Do not miss an opportunity to helpothers.

11 Do not take anything withoutpermission.

12 Do not be afraid to ask questionsrespectfully to your teachers or elders.

2.8 Dos and DontsDOSAN D DONTS




PUT THE GLASS DOWN TODAY!A professor began his class by holding up a glass with some water in it. He held it

up for all to see & asked the students, How much do you think this glass weighs?

50 gms! ... 100 gms! 125 gms the students answered.

I really dont know unless I weigh it, said the professor, but my question is: What

would happen if I held it up like this for a few minutes?

Nothing the students said.

Ok what would happen if I held it up like this for an hour? the professor asked.

Your arm would begin to ache, said one of the students.

Youre right, now what would happen if I held it for a day?

Your arm could go numb, you might have severe muscle stress & paralysis and

have to go to hospital for sure! ventured another student, with which all the students

laughed.

Very good. But during all this, did the weight of the glass change? asked the

professor.

No.

Then what caused the arm ache & the muscle stress? The students were puzzled.

Put the glass down! said one of the students.

Exactly! said the professor. Life problems are something like this. Hold it for a

few minutes in your head & they seem OK. Think of them for a long time and they

begin to ache. Hold it even longer and they begin to paralyze you. You will not be

able to do anything. Its important to think of the challenges (problems) in your life,but EVEN MORE IMPORTANT to put them down at the end of every day before you

go to sleep. That way, you are not stressed, you wake up every day fresh & strong

and ready to handle any issue, any challenge that comes your away!

Remember to PUT THE GLASS DOWN TODAY!




3.0 Life ofBhagawn Mahvir



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Life of Bhagawn Mahvir3.1 Previous Lives

The lives of Bhagawn Mahvir are countedfrom his life as that of Nayasr, when heattained self-realization (Samyaktva). Thesignificant lives are Nayasr (birth no. 1),Marichi (birth no. 3), Triprushtha Vsudev(birth no. 16), Vishvabhuti (birth no. 18),

Priyamitra Chakravarti (birth no. 23) andNandan Muni (birth no. 25).

It is in the life of Nandan Muni that heattained Tirthankar Nm-Karma. At the endof that life he was born as a Deva. Then,in the third life after Nandan Muni, he was

born as Vardhamn Mahvir.

3.2 Birth and Childhood

It is believed that all Tirthankars are bornin the Kshatriya (warrior) royal family because it provides a surrounding thathelps a realized person to understand thatthere is no permanent happiness in materialcomfort.

Queen Trishal, just like the mother ofany other Tirthankar, saw 14 objects inher dreams: lion, elephant, bull, Lakshmi,

garland, full moon, sun, flag, vase, lotuslake, ocean, celestial plane, heap of jewels,smokeless fire, adding (Digambar tradition

believes the mother sees 16 dreams, addinga pair of fish and a throne). When herhusband, King Siddhrtha, asked the dreaminterpreters and scholars the meaning ofthe dreams, they proclaimed that QueenTrishal would give birth to a Tirthankar.

While in the womb, Bhagawn Mahvirhad once been very still so as not to disturband provide any pain to his mother. Notfeeling any movement Queen Trishal wasvery worried that something was wrongwith the baby in the womb. Realizing howworried his mother had been on his behalf,he had decided not to take the religious vowof Renunciation and leave his family while

his parents were alive.

Soon after his birth Indra (king of heavenlygods) takes the baby Tirthankar to MountMeru and performs the birth ceremony(Janma Abhisheka) with great rejoicing andcelebration. After that he returns the babyto mother Trishals bedside.

LIFEOF BHAGAWN MAHVIR

Depicts Bhagawn Mahvirs past life from Nayasr toNandan Muni




Mahvirs Life(Rhyme - Mary had a Little Lamb)

Trishal Mt had many dreams,many dreams, many dreams,

Trishal Mt had many dreams,They were special.

It meant a baby Tirthankar,Tirthankar, Tirthankar,

It meant a baby Tirthankar,Who was on his way.

He was showered on Meru Shikhar,Meru Shikhar, Meru Shikhar,

He was showered on Meru Shikhar,By Indra Bhagawn.

He was very strong and brave,

Strong and brave, strong and brave,He was very strong and brave,

Which means Mahvir.

When he was thirty,Thirty, thirty,

When he was thirty,He took Diksh.

He saved Chandan, Chandkaushik,Chandkaushik, Chandkaushik

He saved Chandan, Chandkaushik,And faced many troubles.

After lots of Kusagga,Kusagga, Kusagga,

After lots of Kusagga,He achieved Keval-jnn.

Satya, Ahims saves us all,Saves us all, saves us all,

Satya, Ahims saves us all,Thats what he said.

He overcame all his Karma,

All his Karma, all his Karma,He overcame all his Karma,

And reached Moksha.

Moksha is where we want to go,Want to go, want to go,

Moksha is where we want to go,And not be born again.

LIF EOF BHAGAWN MAHVIR

Dreams of Trishal Mt




There is great rejoicing in the country. Thefamily is blessed with increasing goodwill,

respect, wealth, and mutual affection, andeveryone prospers. Gold and gems increasedin the treasury of the kingdom. The generalhealth, peace, happiness, and goodwill ofthe people increased many-fold. Thus,since the moment his soul was conceivedthere was continued enhancement in glory,wealth, health and fame. This is the reasonthe baby was named Vardhamn, which

means ever-increasing prosperity.There are numerous incidences of courageand forgiveness throughout Vardhamnslife as a child and an adult.

One day prince Vardhamn, a young boy ofeight, was playing with his friends on theoutskirts of the city. At that very moment

Indra, the king of heaven, started praisingthe courage, valor, bravery and fearlessnessof prince Vardhamn. Another heavenlygod challenged the statement believing thatfear is present in all humans. He decidedto test Vardhamns courage. In order tofrighten the child he assumed the form ofa formidable and frightening cobra andslithered near the tree where the childrenwere playing. All the boys were frightenedand started screaming but Mahvir stoodthere calm and completely fearless. Hegently caught the cobra with his hands and

placed it in the grass on the side.

The god, who failed to frighten princeVardhamn in the form of a cobra, decidedto test his bravery again. Assuming theform of an ordinary child he joined thegroup of children and suggested playing

LIFEOF BHAGAWN MAHVIR

Mahvir gently caught the cobra with his hands and placedit in the grass on the side

Vardhamn being bathed on Mount Meru




Tindushak game. This game was a raceto a target tree. The winner was to ride

piggyback on one of the losers and returnto the base. The heavenly god lost thegame to prince Vardhamn and offered tocarry him on his shoulders. However, assoon as he had the prince on his shouldersthe god assumed a gigantic form. Withoutany fear Prince Vardhamn gave a mighty

blow on his shoulder with clenched fists.The god could not withstand the blowand assuming his original form bowed tothe prince and returned to heaven. Indraand all the other heavenly gods hailed thevictory of prince Vardhamn and exclaimedthat he was Mahvir - The Great Hero.When Vardhamn was nine years old his

parents thought that it was time to impart

formal education and teach him martial artsbefitting a Kshatriya prince. They decidedto send him to school.

When Vardhamn went to school he offeredhis respects to the teacher just like an

ordinary child. The teacher taught him thefirst lesson and realized that Vardhamnis a very knowledgeable boy. The teacheralso realized that Vardhamn is moreknowledgeable than himself.

After these incidences, his schooling endedand he returned to the palace.

Preparation for Renunciation

As a youth Prince Vardhamn lived a verysimple and disciplined life. He wanted torenounce the world in search of eternal

happiness. However, while he was in hismothers womb, he had decided not to leavethe family while his parents are alive.

At the age of 28, his parents passed away.He was now ready to take Diksh. So, herequested his older brother, Nandivardhan,to permit him to take Diksh. Realizing


Indra, in the disguise of a Brahmin, coming to askVardhamn questions

The god taking the form of a giant and carrying Vardhamnon his shoulders




that his younger brother was not an ordinary person Nandivardhan requested him topostpone his decision for two years, as hewas still grieving for their parents death.

Prince Vardhamn led a very simple lifefor one year. When he had exactly onemore year of a householders life left,Prince Vardhamn started donating all his

belongings and wealth to the needy andto all those who came to him. Everyday,he would donate many gold coins, jewels,

precious stones, and clothes. This uniqueand unprecedented charity impressed on theminds of the people that Charity is a double

blessing - it blesses those who give and alsothose who receive.

At the end of the year that was marked bygenerosity, Prince Vardhamn had attained

perfect Aparigrahatva - Freedom fromattachment for possession. He was now fully

prepared for the life of a monk. His elder brother made elaborate preparations forthe initiation. There was great excitementand enthusiasm throughout the country.Indra and other heavenly gods participatedin the ceremony. Gold and silver pitchersfilled with water from various holy placeswere prepared. The prince was anointedwith perfumed pastes and bathed with holywaters. He was dressed in royal garmentsand decked with precious ornaments.They carried him in a palanquin in a grand

procession on the tenth day of the dark halfof month of Mrgashirsh. On this day at anauspicious moment Prince Vardhamn leftthe palace forever. Indra and the other godscarried the palanquin on their shoulders.

3.3 Renunciation

After alighting from the palanquin, PrinceVardhamn removed all the garments andornaments and handed them over to Indra.He stood under an Ashok tree and in the

presence of thousands of people took thesolemn vow of renunciation. He pluckedall the hair on his head in four handfulsand the hair on his chin and lips in onehandful. This is known as Panchamusthi

loch. Mahvir solemnly recited the words,I bow down to all the liberated souls, andaccepted life-long renunciation. He tookthe five great vows of non-violence, truth,non-stealing, celibacy, and non-possessionin order to avoid accumulation of any newKarma in the future and to annihilate pastKarma. Indra then placed a divine piece of


Vardhamn asking his brothers permission to take Diksh




cloth called Devadusya on his left shoulder.Right after initiation (Diksh) BhagawnMahvir acquired the Manah-Paryya Jnnknowledge that allowed him to perceive thefeelings and thoughts of all living beings.

Rejecting Indras Protection

Bhagawn Mahvir, an embodiment of perfect renunciation, detachment, and

Ahims, once reached the outskirts of avillage named Kurmragrm. He stoodunder a tree motionless and absorbed in deepmeditation. A cowherd approached Mahvirand asked him to look after his bullockswhile he visited the village. On his returnthe cowherd found that the bullocks weremissing. He asked Bhagawn Mahvir but


Taking the vow of renunciation in the presence of the people.Mahvir plucking his hair and Indra collecting them

received no reply as Mahvir was observingthe vow of silence. The cowherd searchedfor his bullocks throughout the night, butfailed to locate them. In the morning hereturned to the same spot and found the

bullocks seated by the side of the standingsaint. Thinking that Bhagawn Mahvir wasa thief in disguise, he became furious andrushed towards Mahvir, with the intentionof thrashing him with his whip. Indra,however, intervened and explained to himthat the saint is not an ordinary wanderingmendicant, but prince Vardhamn, son ofking Siddhrtha, who had recently acceptedinitiation.

Indra asked Mahvir if he could provideprotection. Mahvir replied in all humilitythat an ascetic on a spiritual path reacheshis goal of purity with the help of hisown practice, courage, and discipline. It

The furious cowherd is ready to use his whip on Mahvir




is without the help of heavenly gods orhumans that one should shed all its Karmato attain liberation. On hearing this, Indra

bowed with reverence and departed.

Afflictions by Sulpni

When the wandering Bhagawn Mahvircame to a village called Asthikagrm, hewanted to spend the night in the templededicated to a demon (Yaksha) calledSulpni. The villagers warned him that thewicked Yaksha tortures to death any traveler

who spends the night in that shrine. ButMahvir insisted on staying there overnight.The Yaksha became enraged and furiousas he thought that this was a challenge tohis powers. He tried to frighten BhagawnMahvir by assuming various forms of a

ghost, an elephant, a cobra, a lion, but hedid not succeed. He then tried to piercehis eyes, ears, nose, head, nails and back.Even this extreme agony failed to pierce theserenity of his composure.

Sulpni was drained of all his demonicenergy, and a divine spiritual light illuminatedin him. Slowly his anger subsided, feardissolved, and a feeling of goodwill tookover. He touched Mahvirs feet and withrepentance and humility begged Mahvirs

pardon.

Chandkaushik

Leaving Asthikagrm Mahvir proceededin the direction of Shvetmbik town. Thetrail to this town passed through a dense anddesolate forest. Whensome shepherds sawMahvir entering the forest they warnedhim about the black cobra with a venomous

gaze living on the trail. The cobras hissingand gaze burnt plants and trees, while flying birds and standing humans dropped dead.As a result no one crossed the forest wherethe cobra lived. Bhagawn Mahvir knewthis by his divine knowledge and in order toenlighten the cobra by his universal love heentered the forest and stood motionless inmeditation near the place where the cobra

resided. The proud king-cobra rushed outof its hole, hissing and gazing at BhagawnMahvir. But Mahvir stood motionless andunperturbed. Blind with rage, the cobra sankhis fangs into Mahvirs toe and injectedall his venom. But a milk-like substancestarted flowing from his toe. BhagawnMahvir cast a gentle glance of compassion

Sulpni harassing Bhagawn Mahvir by assuming variousforms





Bhagawn Mahvir accepting alms from Chandanbl afterall his conditions are met

and said, O Chandkaushik, be enlightenedand attain peace of mind. Do not inject thevenom of anger in your life.

When the cobra met Mahvirs gaze, it feltas if a wave of peace and tranquility hadengulfed his inner self. The cobra startedcontemplating and visualized his past lives(Jtismaran jnn) and realized that it hadsuffered excruciating pain and degradation

due to extreme anger and acute attachmentduring his previous two births. He wasfull of repentance. He vowed not to lookat anyone for the rest of his life, nor eat ordrink anything. He decided to lie still andatone for all his sins committed during thelast three births and improve his future.

Chandanbl

During the twelfth year after initiationBhagawn Mahvir entered the city ofKaushmbi after a long penance. He haddecided to accept alms only from a personwho fulfilled his following unspokenconditions - He would accept an Urad

preparation from the corner of a winnowingbasket, given by a person with one leg onthe threshold and the other outside, whowas a princess turned into a slave, who hada shaven head and whose legs were bound

by chains. She must be a chaste woman,

performing the penance of Attham (threedays of fasting) and should serve him withtears in her eyes. Five months and twenty-five days elapsed, but no donor fulfilled


Bhagawn Mahvir preaching to Chandkaushik




these conditions. Chandanbl, a princesssold as a slave, shackled and shaved by the

jealous wife of a rich merchant fulfilledall the conditions except tears in her eyes.Bhagawn Mahvir turned his face awayat the last moment without accepting herhumble alms. This made Chandanblweep and the last condition being realizedBhagawn Mahvir accepted the alms.

The last Calamity: Nails in his ears

Once on the outskirts of the villageChhammani, Bhagawn Mahvir wasstanding absorbed in deep meditation.

A cowherd left his oxen near him and askedhim to keep an eye on them. When hereturned, he did not find the cattle and so heinquired about the missing cattle. When hereceived no reply to his persistent queries,he became furious and plugged hard grass

pegs in the ears of Bhagawn Mahvir.Mahvir bore all the pain patiently. Fromthere, Bhagawn Mahvir went to Pv.

While going for alms, he entered the houseof a rich merchant named Siddhrtha, whowas sitting in the company of an eminent

physician named Kharak. The physicianimmediately realized from the facialexpression of Bhagawn Mahvir that hewas suffering from some acute pain. Withgreat difficulty Mahvir was persuaded toundergo the operation. He was made to sitin a basin filled with oil, given a massageand then the pegs were removed by meansof pincers. The pain was so excruciatingthat even Bhagawn Mahvir cried out inagony.

3.4 Keval-jnn and Nirvana

Mahvir-swmi practiced severe austeritiesand deep meditation for a period of twelve anda half years. During this period, he residedin parks, forests and deserted places, and

bore all the obstacles and tortures patientlyand bravely. He observed fasts from a

single day to up to six months. He had nowreached the highest stage of meditation. Hereached the village Jambhik and stayed onthe banks of the river Rujubluk. At thattime, he was observing a fast of two days. Inorder to annihilate the lingering remnants ofthe destructive Karma Bhagawn Mahvirsat down in the cow-milking posture. Hismind was absorbed in the highest type of

meditation, and by destroying all his GhtiKarma completely; he attained absoluteknowledge on the tenth day of the brighthalf of the month of Vaisakha. He becameomniscient, comprehending and visualizingeverything in the whole universe. Beingfree from all Ghti Karma, he now becamean Arihanta.

Thorns being hammered into Bhagawn Mahvirs ears andthen being removed by Kharak





delivered a soul-stirring and heartfelt sermonin the assembly of gods, human beings,and animals. Even though a great sacrificewas in progress simultaneously in another

part of the city, huge crowds were seengoing in the opposite direction towards theSamavasaran. Indrabhuti of Gautam Gotra,the chief priest, was told about BhagawnMahvirs Samavasaran. On hearing this,his vanity was hurt and he decided to putto test the so-called omniscience of thesaint. He, therefore, decided to visit theSamavasaran accompanied by his disciples.

Mahvir called him by his name and withoutbeing asked resolved his doubts about thesoul, upon which Gautam along with his500 disciples accepted monk hood. Hearing

this, the remaining ten learned scholarscame there and having their secret doubtsresolved, accepted initiation with 4400disciples. Mahvir established the four-foldSangha and preached the path to liberation.11 learned Brahmins became his principlesdisciples and are known as Ganadhars.

Eleven Ganadhars being initiated

The thrones of Indra and the other heavenlygods received tremors the momentBhagawn Mahvir attained omniscience.Immediately hosts of gods thronged there tocelebrate the fourth Kalynak or auspiciousoccasion.

They constructed a divine Assembly Hall

known as Samavasaran for BhagawnMahvirs first sermon. He delivered thefirst sermon at night when only the godswere present. Then, Bhagawn traveled toPvpuri and stayed in the garden namedMahsen. The gods constructed anotherSamavasaran hall. Sitting under the Ashoktree, Mahvir delivered a sermon in Ardha-Mgadhi.

Eleven Learned Brahmins Initiated asGanadhars

Bhagawn Mahvir, endowed with manyAtishaya or distinguished attributes,


Samavasaran for Bhagawn Mahvirs first sermon




Bhagawn Mahvirs Last Sermon atPvpuri lasting Forty-eight Hours and

his Final Liberation

During thirty years of his life as a Tirthankar,Bhagawn Mahvir preached his gospel of

Ahims to millions of people and initiatedthousands of disciples into monk hood. Atthe age of seventy-two, he came to Pvpurito spend his final monsoon season. In themonth of Ashwin he observed a fast for twodays, taking neither food nor water, sat in thelotus posture on a golden lotus and deliveredhis last and longest sermon, lasting for forty-eight hours, before the four-fold Sangha.

This sermon was compiled in the Jainscripture known as Uttardhyayan Sutra. Inthe early morning of the new-moon night,

the remaining four types of non-destructiveKarma were destroyed. And thus with allthe eight Karma completely annihilated, hissoul soared high and reached the pinnacleof Loka and went to the permanent abodeof Siddhas, never to return again. Andthus the soul achieved the highest goal ofLiberation.

Funeral Rites performed by heavenlygods and human beings

All the eighteen rulers of the var

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$JES203 First Step of Jainism E3 2005-04-29