Paryushan 2007

Day 10

Amit on September 2007

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Supreme Celibacy – UTTAM BRAHMCHARYA
External View: This means not only refraining from sexual intercourse but also includes all pleasures associated with the sense of touch, e.g. desiring for a cool breeze on a hot summer’s day or using a cushion for a hard surface. Again this dharma is practiced to keep our desires in check. The monks practice this to the highest degree with all their body, speech and mind. The householder refrains from sexual intercourse with anyone
except his or her spouse.

Internal View: Brahmacharya is derived from the words Brahma (Soul) and charya (to dwell). Nischay Brahmacharya means to dwell in your Soul. Only by residing in the Soul you are the master of the Universe. Residing outside your Soul makes you a slave to desires.

Day 9

Amit on September 2007

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Non-attachment – UTTAM ÄKINCHANYA
External View: This assists us in detaching from external possessions. Historically, ten possessions are listed in scriptures: land, house, silver, gold, wealth, grain, female servants, male servants, garments and utensils. Of course in today’s world, money, investments, car, and clothes are part of our possessions as well. Remaining unattached from these helps control our desires and leads to an influx of punya Karmas.
Internal View: This assists us in being unattached from our internal attachments: false belief, anger, pride, deceit, greed, laughter, liking, disliking, lamentation, fear, disgust, and
sexual desire.

Day 7 - Das Lakshan

Amit on September 2007

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Penance – UTTAM TAP
External View: This does not only mean fasting but also includes a reduced diet, restriction of certain types of foods, avoiding tasty foods, etc. The purpose of penance is to keep
desires and passions in control. Over-indulgence inevitably leads to misery. Penance leads to an influx of positive Karmas.
Internal View: Meditation prevents the rise of desires and passions in the Soul. In a deep state of meditation the desire to intake food does not arise. The first Tirthankar, Adinath Bhagwan was in such a meditative state for six months, during which he observed Nischay Uttam Tap. Only from the meditative energy from within, he went on for six months with no food.

Last Day

Amit on September 2007

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We have been exchanging Michhami Dukkadam [probably without knowing, experiencing or feeling] for Forgiveness every year at the end of Paryushan. Allow me (the author) to take you through following steps which enables you to experience what forgiveness is. Please follow these simple steps with your conscious mind & body. And feel the experience what Michhami Dukkadam/Forgiveness is.

step 1
close your eyes….for a moment just reflect on what the word
Forgiveness
might really mean.

What is forgiveness?
[ponder for a short while and after contemplating goto next]

step 2
And now, very gently — no force — just as an experiment in truth –
just for a moment — allow the image of someone for whom you have
much resentment — someone from whom you have anger and a sense
of distance — let them just gently — gently, come into your mind –
As an image, as a feeling.

May be you feel them at the centre of your chest as fear, as resistance.
However they manifest in your mind body, just invite them in very gently
for this — moment — for this experiment.

And in your heart, silently say to them, ‘ I forgive you’.
‘I forgive you for whatever you have done in the past that caused me
pain, intentionally or unintentionally. However you have caused me pain,
I forgive you’.

Speak gently to them in your heart with your ownwords– in your own way.
[close your eyes and talk in your heart with them– only for forgiveness]

In your heart, say to them, ‘I forgive you for whatever you may have done in
the past, through your words, through your actions, through your thoughts
that caused me pain, intentionally or unintentionally. I forgive you.’

Allow….Allow them to be touched… power of your thought is immense
and it would touch them….
just for a moment at least…
by your forgiveness.
Allow forgiveness.

It is so painful to hold someone out of your heart.
How can you hold on to that pain,
that resentment, even a moment longer?
Fear, doubt… let it go… and for this moment,
touch them with your forgiveness.

‘I FORGIVE YOU.’

Now let them go gently, let them leave quietly.
Let them go with your blessings.

step 3
Now picture someone who has great resentment for you.
Someone near or dear
May be a friend, customer/client oremployer/employee…..
staff or family…
supplier/creditor or a banker/broker of insurance
anyone who has any cause of resentment for you.
Could be spouse or parent, children or neighbour
who had any cause of resentment for you in recent past.

Feel them in your chest, may be in heart, seeing themin your mind as an image
– sense of their being. Invite them gently in.
Someone who has resentment, Anger –
someone who is unforgiving towards you.
Let them into your heart at this moment.
And in your heart, say to them ‘ I ask your forgiveness,
for whatever I may have done in the past that caused you pain,
intentionally or unintentionally —
through my words, through my actions, through my thoughts.
However I caused you pain,
I ask your forgiveness. I ask your forgiveness.’

‘Through my anger, my fear, my blindness, my laziness.
However I caused you pain,
intentionally or unintentionally — I ask your forgiveness.’

Let it be. Allow that forgiveness in.
Allow your self to be touched by their forgiveness.
Power of your thoughts is immense… they are forgiving you.
If the mind rises up
with thoughts like self-indulgence or doubt,
just see how profound our mercilessness is
with ourself and be open to the forgiveness.

Allow yourself to be forgiven.
Allow yourself to be forgiven.

However I caused you pain,
I ask for your forgiveness.
Allow yourself feel their forgiveness.
Let it be.
Let it be.

And gently …. very gently … let them go on their way
in forgiveness for you — in blessings foryou.

step 4
And turn to yourself in your own heart andsay
‘ I forgive you’ to you/rself.
whatever tries to block that
the merciless and fear.
Let it go.

Let it be touched by your forgiveness andyour mercy.
And gently in your heart, calling yourselfby
your own first name, say,
‘ I FORGIVE YOU ‘ to you.

It is so painful to put yourself out of your heart.
Let yourself in. Allow yourself to be touched
by this forgiveness.
Let the healing in.
Say, ‘ I FORGIVE YOU ‘ to you.

[ you will feel very peaceful…light hearted and relieved
if not, try repeating step 2,3 & 4….
till you have softened your heart, feel your inner peace…
then goto step 5]

[ say with immense love and joy,….openly, loudly…]

Let that forgiveness be extended to the beings all around you.
May all beings forgive themselves.
May they discover joy.
May all being be freed of suffering.
May all beings be healed.
May they be at one with their thru nature.
May they be free from suffering.
May they be at peace.
Let that loving kindness,
that forgiveness,
extend to the whole planet…
extend to entire universe
to every level of existence, seen and unseen.
May all beings be freed of sufferings.

May they know the power of forgiveness,
may they know their true being.
May they know their vastness
their infinite peacefulness.
May all beings be free.
May all beings be free.

[SOURCE: Dr. C.Northrup (p507-509) ISBN 0- 7499-1484-X]

Day 7

Amit on September 2007

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Samvatsari Pratikraman

Of all the days of Paryushan I felt the biggest change on this day. Everything culminates into realizing what we’ve done and haven’t done over this past year. I felt cleansed and relaeased from the past year and now looking forward.

Day 2

Amit on September 2007

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It gets tougher and tougher each day doesn’t it? At least for me it does. I’m not disciplined to the level where I can give up late night snacks and its starting to take its toll on me. I feel a little weary, yet when I focus on a particular task I can be a laser beam. I read somewhere in Jain teachings and also heard it echoed in Hindu teachings as well. To paraphrase;

Through the understanding of self-sacrifice and going through the physical and mental misery, it brings us closer than God. We become enlightened…

I hope that everyone is doing well and feeling closer to God. Tomorrow I am going to take try and conquer some of these recipes that have been given to us by the Jain Center of New York.

Someone tell me something. Leave a comment.

Paryushan - Day 1

Amit on September 2007

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Jai Jinendra.

My name is Amit Jain/25/Los Angeles. I come from a religiously and culturally mixed background so my experience with Paryushan has been limited up until the last few years. My mom is from Lucknow, U.P. and is of the Hindu faith. My dad is from Jalhandher,Punjab is Punjabi-Jain. WHAT?!?! Yeah I get it all the time… Yes, there is such people that are Punjabi-Jain. O bale!!!

I spent my entire childhood and young adulthood going back and forth between my Hindu Dharma and my Jain Dharma. This left me at times confused on what to believe in times when principles had deviating philosophy. I’ll be candid with you, 9 out of 10 times I took the road of least resistance to my life. What that means to me is that instead of cleansing my soul through paryushan I would cleanse it through daily worship of Lord Shiva and attending the Hindu Mandir for religious holidays and to receive blessings from the Pundit for my penance during worship.

You see, its easily confusing and equally justifiable to fall into a trap where you feel like you’re practicing 2 traditions with one. I know now, that in order to be fully Jain and fully Hindu its imperative that you complete ALL the traditions.

Day 1 - I’m trying to get through a cold right and sore throat right now so I definitely do not feel ready to take on the challenge. My diet today consisted of some fruits and some very funky garbonzo bean concoction I made up of lemon juice and salt. I live away from my family so there’s ‘no live-in cook’ to make sure I’m eating the right things and preparing food for me. It’s definitely a step harder trying to prepare food on your for Paryushan much less any other time of the year so please if you are doing this right now post your recipes and suggestions on the comments section of this blog post.

A lot of our elders have put together some incredible English Pratikraman documents and they are easily readable. I’ve spent much time this evening just re-learning important principles that I have forgotten over the years.

I really would like to know what others did today and what the people did at their local temples. Is there anything that anybody learned today that they would like to impart on me and the reading audience?? It doesn’t even have to be thought provoking. I am limited with my interactions with Jains on a daily basis so this can be a really cool way to connect with everyone out there. A penny for your thoughts….