Diwali and Jainism (The Festival of Light followed by Jain followers too)

Jain Jinendra,

Diwali, The festival of light, has really deep impact on India and Indians. This is the festival of joy, this is the festival of light, this is the festival of forget and forgive. Not only Hindus but even Jains, Bhuddhist and Shikhs are also enjoying this festival with joy and happiness.

The main reason Jains are following this festival is, 24^th Tirthankara Lord Mahavir Swami got Nirvana (Moksha) on this auspicious and sacred day at Pavapuri on Oct. 15, 527 BCE, on Chaturdashi of Kartika. Principal follower of Lord Mahavira, Guru Gautam Swami also got Keval Gyan (Absolute Wisdom) on this day too.

Jains and Hindus both used to enjoy the festival Diwali but with different method. Hindus used to have fire crackers, sweets, new clothes and lots of fun and parties whereas Jains are enjoying these days with fasting, plainness, donation, go to Jain Monks and listen Vyakhyan (monks used to present the message of Lord Mahavira). By this way Jains are trying to liberate from the bondage of Karmas.

Wish all of you a very happy Diwali and New Year too.

Reference: Jain Sadhu Maharaj
Prepared By: Ritesh Shah
http://www.sqlhub.com
Note:  All articles and material gathered from different Jain books, web sites and taken helps from honorable Jain saints

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Updhan Tap in Jainism

Updhan Tap is one of the most wonderful and holy Tap in Jainism. In this Tap, Jain follower needs to live with Jain Sadhu/Sadhvi (Jain Monk) as one of the Monk. This Tap runs for 45 days, if you are doing this first time, second time 35 days and third time 18 days. You can’t do this Tap more than thrice.

During this Tap, you need to have Two Fast (Chhath), Fast (Upvas), Half Fast (Ekasanu), Biyasanu or Aayambil. You may or may not know but Jain Fast is one of the difficult task to do as you are not allowed to have any single grain of food for at  least 32 hours. You can only drink boiled water from sun rise to sun set.

Along with Fast and other things, they have to do some more Kriyas of Jainism like two times Pratikaman, vandana and more. They need to wake up by 3:30AM in the morning and can sleep by 10:00PM.

I am really very proud to say that my mom (Mrs. Divya Ashwinkumar Shah) is doing Updhan Tap second time for 35 days at Palitana, one of the very holy place of Jainism. It has just started on 1^st Oct 09.

Hope she will do well there and finish this Tapashcharya.

Reference: Jain Sadhu Maharaj
Prepared By: Ritesh Shah
http://www.sqlhub.com
Note:  All articles and material gathered from different Jain books, web sites and taken helps from honorable Jain saints

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Tour to Dilwara Marble Jain Temple in Mount Abu

27^th Sep 2009 was fabulous day for me. I have once again visited Dilwara’s marvelous marble Jain temple at Mount Abu, Rajashthan, India. I have visited Dilwara temple many times in past but this tour was special as I have visited this temple first time ever with my beautiful wife.

Temple was constructed in part by few different people but originally it has started building in 1031 A.D. It is one of the biggest Jain Temple in the world and marble carving of this temple is really extra ordinary.  Architecturally it is even better than Taj Mahal as per some experts.

Unfortunately I was not able to take any picture or shooting there as it was prohibitive in temple premises but I have found some picture from internet which I am going to share with you.

You can find more details about Dilwara Temple here

Reference: Jain Sadhu Maharaj
Prepared By: Ritesh Shah
http://www.sqlhub.com
Note:  All articles and material gathered from different Jain books, web sites and taken helps from honorable Jain saints

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Why night meal is prohibitive in Jainism

As I told you before too, Rules of Jainism is not only religious but it has scientific reasons along with it also. Jainism prohibits night meal there are religious as well as scientific reasons also. Let us discuss it in details.

The reason behind this is not only linked with religion and non violence, but also related to health. The food we eat in the night is not digestible. There is a close connection between our digestive system and sunlight. The sun rays fall on earth and illuminate it, and the heat of the sun activates our digestive system. After the sun sets, darkness spreads and our digestive system becomes inactive. The food consumed during the inactive phase does not get thoroughly digested, and then there is room for illness.

The activity or inactivity of the digestive system is profoundly linked with the sun. When the sun sets, the temperature drops. At low temperatures, drowsiness sets in. In the night, we are lazy, indolent and inactive. Daytime is the preferred time for eating. Further, during the day, when the sun is at the midst of the sky - when light spreads out, when the temperature is pleasant and warmer - our digestive system gets activated. So only the time around 12 noon is considered to be the perfect time for our lunch.

So we have seen scientific reason now let me tell you something about religious reason of the same. At the day time, you won’t see flies, mosquitoes and other small creatures in air as compare with evening and night. If you are having meal at night, it might be possible that you may get small creature in meal too and Jainism wants to spread as much non-violence as possible.  It is not possible for any human being to be 100% non-violent but you can at least follow it as much as possible.

When I was looking at web, I found one of the good link about this at

http://www.atmadharma.com/shastras/vegetarian_food_and_jain_conduct_eng_txt/vfjcmp06.html

Reference: Jain Sadhu Maharaj
Prepared By: Ritesh Shah
http://www.sqlhub.com
Note:  All articles and material gathered from different Jain books, web sites and taken helps from honorable Jain saints

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Why root vegetables are not permitted in Jainism?

Well, Jain community is vegetarian food based community. Al most every rules of Jainism is based on scientific reason so I tried to found the reason “why root vegetables are not permitted in Jainism?” If it doesn’t allow non-veg food, we can understand it because Jainism mostly believes in non-violence.

When I dig more in different web-sites, asked some Jain Sadhu Maharaj and read some articles, I found religious as well as scientific reason for why Jainism doesn’t allow root-vegetables.

Every Root-Vegetable is having high volume of Potassium inside. If you are eating lots of root-vegetables (a.k.a Kandmul in Jainism) than your kidney will not be able to throw it out via urine and this could cause damage in your kidney. This is the scientific reason. Now let us see the religious reason.

Root vegetables (tuber-roots) are totally forbidden as uneatable for 2 reasons. The first being that, vegetables grown underground are the depository of countless of small creatures. The second reason being uproot of such vegetables definitely results in the destruction of plants and trees. Jainism is the based on Non-Violence so how it could give your permission to eat this kind of vegetables which is killing so many small creatures and the plant itself before you eat it.

Reference: Jain Sadhu Maharaj
Prepared By: Ritesh Shah
http://www.sqlhub.com
Note:  All articles and material gathered from different Jain books and taken helps from honorable Jain saints

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History of Namokar Mantra (Navkar Mahamantra)

Yesterday, I saw meaning of Namokar mahamantra, today let us look little bit into its history. It is really worth looking into the history of Namokar mahamantra as it is really an eternal joy with supreme bliss.

Actually Namokar mahamantra is really one of the earliest mantras known to man. It is "shashvat" mahamantra for Jain like "Gayatri Mantra" for Hindus. When I tried to dig into more about this mantra from various sources, I wanted to find out the author of this great spiritual mantra but found that no author attributed to this Namokar (also known as Navkar) mahamantra but reference to it found in sacred book of Jains "The Bhagwati Sutra".

This blissful mahamantra is really free from any sectarian bias as it is not incorporating to any personal being. Salutations have been made to quality of purity, which has been attained by innumerable evolved souls in the course of timeless existence. It pays obeisance to the Arihantas, the Upadhyayas and the Saints who bring forth the wisdom of religious tenets into the world. Obeisance offered in the above form has the power to destroy all the sinful qualities of the human mind. Medicines cure diseases, so too Mantras can remove or mitigate karmas. Not only do the Mantra give physical results but help spiritual practice too. Hence they help a Mumuksu (person desirous of Moksha) also.

Story of Navkar mahamantras effects in past birth 23rd god of jain parshwanthji ( 23rd tirthankar/arihant) was prince parswa. Prince Parshwa saw a tapasvi karmath ( his past life's brother ) sitted in meditation performing panchagni tap. At the same moment he came to know from his inner sense power that a snake pair are trying to save themselves being present in the woods used for that tapasvi's panchagni. Immediately, prince took out that wood and saved the snake pair by tearing it and prompted Namokar Mahamantra to them. But alas, they could not survive and died as they were heavily burnt. By the affect of having heard Namokar Mahamantra at the time of death, they became Dharnendra dev & Padmavati Devi after their death.

Reference: Jain Sadhu Maharaj
Prepared By: Ritesh Shah
http://www.sqlhub.com
Note:  All articles and material gathered from different Jain books and taken helps from honorable Jain saints

some part also copied from jainliterature.com

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Namokar Mantra with meaning

well, each and every Jain person must be aware with this spiritual and wonderful namokar mantra. It has been observed that almost every Jain person is aware with this mantra but 90% of them are not aware with its meaning so I thought to share it via this blog on the 3rd Day of Pavan Pavitra Parvadhiraj Paryushan.

णमो अरिहंताणं

Namo ariha.ntaaNaM

Meaning: I bow to the Arahants, the perfected human beings, Godmen.

णमो सिद्धाणं

Namo siddhaaNaM

Meaning: I bow to the Siddhas, liberated bodiless souls, God.

णमो आयरियाणं

Namo aayariyaaNaM

Meaning: I bow to the Acharyas, the masters and heads of congregations

णमो उवज्झायाणं

Namo uvajjhaayaaNaM

Meaning: I bow to the Upadhyayas, the spiritual teachers.

णमो लोए सव्व साहूणं

Namo loe savvasaahuNaM

Meaning: I bow to the spiritual practitioners in the universe, Sadhus.

एसो पंच णमोक्कारो,

eso pa.ncha Namokaaro

Meaning: This fivefold obeisance mantra,

सव्व पावप्प णासणो

savva paavapaNaasaNo

Meaning: Destroys all sins and obstacles,

मंगलाणं च सव्वेसिं,

ma.ngalaaNaM cha savvesim

Meaning: And of all auspicious repetitions,

पडमम हवई मंगलं

paDhamaM hava{ii} ma.ngalaM

Meaning: This Is the first and foremost.


Isn't it wonderful? yes, it is. so please keep chanting this spiritual mantra as much as you can as it is the only way to get rid of birth and death.

Reference: Jain Sadhu Maharaj & Jain books
Prepared By: Ritesh Shah
http://www.sqlhub.com
Note:  All articles and material gathered from different Jain books and taken helps from honorable Jain saints

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wish me luck

Jain Jinendra....

Well, I am Ritesh Shah, by profession; I am an IT professional and belong to Jain religious. I love my religion as the same time I respect all other religion as well. I would love to share some good thoughts about Jainism and Arihant Bhagvant via this blog by help of some Jain Saint (Sadhu Maharaj), hope I will get help from them so that I can share and spread voice of Jainsm

Reference: Jain Sadhu Maharaj
Prepared By: Ritesh Shah
http://www.sqlhub.com
Note:  All articles and material gathered from different Jain books and taken helps from honorable Jain saints

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