Filmmaker Vinanti Sarkar and American editor Isis Nabut began scripting and tracking an edit of the first ten minutes of the digital film titled: "PALITANA - City of Temples on the Hills." It is not enough to visuallty capture the enormous architectural elegance and splendor of the sudden appearance of 849 magnificent temples ... but to show the world who are Jains, what is Jain Dharma and why Jains have built some of the most beautiful temples in the world through the ages.
Since September 2005, Vinanti Sarkar's first research captured the true essence of the Festival of PARYUSHAN (Pary-u-shan) entering into the Jain temple and having conversations with Jain friends. She attended the 8 days observed by the Swatambar Jains, following the next 10 days by the Digambar Jains. But it was after reading Sundeep Prakashan article that she started to understand the tue meaning:"Paryushan starts when Paryushan ends awe, curiosity – the senses that moves humans and out of which is born Jain art, science and religion".
He explains: "faith is the ability to believe what we do not see, what we cannot perceive".
"Our progress in all fields in the path of life ... is in one way or another related to the sense of wonder, or the unwavering faith in one’s own self or a higher power, which then stirs our inner consciousness, driving us to reach new heights of achievement, where we then fall back into the rut of daily life and its challenges".
He states: "Any discipline approached and practiced is necessary in pursuing any goal, be it art, science or religion. Religion plays a fundamental role in bestowing meaning and significance to human existence. It brings us closer to our inner self, it is a journey borne sometimes out of faith, and other times, out of curiosity or wonder. It brings realization to that which is special within us and provides us with order and structure".
"As part of that order and structure, Jains participate in annual observances like Paryushan and Diwali (similar to Rosh Hashana for the followers of Judaism, or Ramadan for followers of Islam, or Christmas or Lent for the Christians). These are mental exercises that remind us to reconnect with ourselves and undertake or continue the spiritual journey. When these observances are over, once again, we fall back in to the rut of daily life and its challenges".
By this stage Vinanti as the director pursuit to visually show the significance of Paryushan Parva, which she was told repeatedly by my Jain friends, is the practice of forgiveness.
"It is not surprising, that the art of forgiveness is given significance in most major world religions evoking inter-faith aspects."
She read Sundeep's interviews of scholars – "both local residents of North America, as well as visiting scholars from India for their message.
"In the spirit of Unity amongst all the traditions of Jainism, we have made a conscious effort to get the message of scholars from different traditions, and covered the celebration of Paryushan via different religious traditions, and how the various centers have approached bringing unity in the celebrations. Paryushan starts when Paryushan end.
"Once Paryushan is over, the mind moves to celebrating the festival of Diwali ... and the deeper spiritual significance of Lord Mahavir attaining Moksha in the cave on Diwali night.
He wrote: "At the end of Paryushan, when Jains ask for forgiveness from one and all – it is not with a view to clear the slate and start building the grudges and the karmas, until next Paryushan, but hopefully to carry forward the gains we have made.
"During Diwali and through the rest of the year, we hope we will continue our march without falling back in to the rut of daily life and its challenges."
"The experiences of the tapasvis – although different from Hinduism, are still similar. Now that we have a cornucopia of tools, techniques and inspirations, it is our strongest desire that we take our pick from the wide variety as we continue our spiritual journey through the rest of the year, and remember not to fall back into the rut of daily life and its challenges. It is like making the progress towards purification of our soul and thus towards enlightenment".
He emphasizes: "Enlightenment occurs in the Pure Soul -- The word “Parva” means auspicious day. There are three types of auspicious days - (1) Ordinary (Sämänya) like every third day - beej (2nd), päncham (5th), etc., (2) Incidental (Naimitik) like Mahävir Jayanti (Birthday) and (3) Natural (Naisargik) like Paryushan.
The word “Paryushan” has several different meanings:
i) Pari + ushan = all kinds + to burn = to burn (shed) all types of karmäs1 . To shed our karmäs, we do twelve different types of austerities including fasting.
ii) Another meaning of “ushan” is to stay closer. To stay closer to our own soul from all directions and to stay absorbed in our own-self (soul), we do Svädhyäya2 (selfstudy), meditation, austerities, etc., and
iii) Pari + upshamanä = upshamanä means to suppress, to suppress our passions (kashäyas - anger, ego, deceit and greed) from all directions.
"Therefore, the real purpose of the Paryushan and Das Lakshan Mahä Parvas is to purify our soul by staying closer to our own soul, to look at our own faults, to ask for forgiveness for the mistakes we have committed, and take vows to minimize our faults. We try to forget about the needs of our body (like food) and our business so that we can concentrate on our-self.
During Paryushan Mahä Parva, aspirants practice five activities:
1. Jiv-dayä (Amäri pravartan),
2. Humanitarian Activity (Sadhärmik Vätslya),
3. Forgiveness (Kshamäpanä),
4. Penance - Fasting for three days (Aththama tap) and
5. Spreading of Religious principles (Chaityapati).
In addition, during Dash-Lakshan Mahä Parva, aspirants celebrate and contemplate ten best characteristics of the soul, Kshamä (forgiveness), Märdav (Humility), Ärjav (straightforwardness), Shauch (content - absence of greed), Satya (truth), Samyam (restraint of all senses), Tapa (austerities), Tyäga (charity), Äkinchan (non-possessiveness) and Brahmachärya (celibacy).
"To ask for forgiveness is a very difficult thing to do. Therefore, great Jain Ächäryas have said: “Kshamä Viram Bhushanam, Kshamäväni Michchhä Mi Dukkadam” - (To ask for forgiveness is a great quality of the brave ones and if I have committed any mistake, knowingly or unknowingly, I ask for your forgiveness).
Sundeep Prakashan continued to relate a story: "Once Chief Ganadhar Shri Gautam Swämi asked Lord Shri Mahävir Swämi, “O Lord! What good does aloyanä (i.e. confession or reflection do to the soul) ?”
"Lord Shri Mahävir Swämi replied: “O Gautama! The threefold internal darts (shalya), (viz. Deceit, desire for worldly gains as the fruits of spiritual activities, and perversity, which create obstacles) in the path of Moksha, and lengthen the span of worldly existence, are removed by such a confession or aloyanä. (Sanity) manifests soon after the removal of these internal darts. This sane soul becomes free from deceit, hatred, or attachments, and would not attract karma particles, which are responsible for the worldly existence.
"For the purification of the soul, it is essential that all liberation-seeking souls resort to reflection and confession, which roots out the internal darts and brings sanity.”
Sundeep Prakashan explained: "There are several great aphorisms (Sutras) to ask for forgiveness with the unity of the body, speech and mind, and one of them is as follows:
Khämemi Savve Jivä, Savve Jivä Khamantu Mi Mitti Me Savva bhuesu, Veram majjham na Kenai. (Meaning: I forgive all the living beings of the Universe, and may all the living-beings forgive me for my faults. I do not have any animosity towards anybody, and I have friendship for all living beings).
"The process of shedding our karmäs really begins by asking for forgiveness with true feelings, and to take some vows not to repeat the mistakes. The quality of forgiveness requires humility (vinay - absence of ego) and suppression of anger.
Shwetämbars (one of the two major Jain traditions) celebrate eight days of Paryushan and the last day is called Samvatsari. Shwetämbar means white [cotton]-clad; name of Jain tradition whose mendicants wear white garments
Digambar means sky-clad; name of the Jain tradition whose mendicants practice ascetic nudity. They celebrate Das Lakshan Mahä Parva for ten days starting on the last day of Shwetämbar Paryushan.
Sundeep Prakashan's writings goes deeper into the philosophy of Karman:
1. Karman particles (non-living, very subtle substance) are attracted to the soul because of false belief (Mithyättva), vowlessness (nonabstinence) (Avirati), negligence (Pramäda), passions (Kashäya) and Activities (Yogäs). These Karman particles that are attached to the soul are called karma. Karma is the hindrance (obstacle) that does not allow us to realize the true qualities of the soul (ätmä)
2. Svädhyäya is one of the six internal taps and one of the six daily activities of the householder. Svädhyäya is consisted of five elements.
(i) vächanä- reading of the Jain canonical books;
(ii) pruchhanä- asking the guru questions about them;
(iii) parivartanärepetition of what was learned previously so one does not forget;
(iv) anuprekshä- deep contemplation of what was learned (with the meaning);
(v) dharma-kathä- inspiring others about Jainism and listening to the exposition of religious parables.
Great Ächärya Amitgati says, one cannot get rid of the darkness of his/her ignorance without the brightness of svädhyäya.
Another great Ächärya Vamadeva says, svädhyäya is one of the four anuyogas propounded by the Jina.
Ächärya Asadhara recommends the construction of svädhyäya-shäläs (schools) where there is no frequent visits by Jain monks and scholars.
3. Also known as älochanä, one type of Präyaschhit (repentance for the breach of vows).
4. Moksha = moha + kshaya; moha means delusion and kshaya means eradication - this makes Moksha as the state where there is no delusion and all karma are eradicated.
There are three jewels, samyak-darsana or right perception (inclination or belief ), samyak-jnäna or right knowledge (cognition), samyak-chäritra or right conduct - these three combined are the means of Moksha.
5. Material world (the cycle of transmigration – samsära) involves cycles of birth, aging and death, and misery and no permanent happiness.
"Forgiveness is a practice that has emerged from the teachings of all the major religious traditions of the world. Following the Jain tradition of anekantvad and respect for other religions and different points of view, we want to recognize the message of forgiveness as an important aspect of spiritual upbringing in other religions as well - ‘World Scriptures’.
Among all religions, Jainism has taken Forgiveness to a much higher dimension. In the opinion of Dr. Alan Hunter of the Center for the Study of Forgiveness and Reconciliation at the University of Coventry, it is perhaps the only religion that celebrates the festival of Paryushan with forgiveness as its core theme.
The importance of practicing forgiveness has been extolled for centuries, but only recently has research substantiated that forgiveness can indeed reduce anger and depression as well as enhance hopefulness and self-efficacy.
For Jains, the need to ask for forgiveness is equally, if not more important than forgiving others. When asking for true forgiveness, one does introspection and reflection, realizing the Karmas that one has accumulated over the period of time. Aham (ego) is the source of many of our ills.
"Overcoming this Aham when asking for forgiveness with complete honesty, one opens the door towards a path to getting rid of the past Karmas and proceed towards purification of the soul.
In the words of Mahatma Gandhi, whose movement of Non-violence was inspired by the principle of Ahimsa from Jainism, “The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.” Let us all strive for that strength to forgive all living beings, ask for forgiveness of all living beings, and live in peace and harmony, with ourselves and the universe.
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The best deed of a great man is to forgive and forget. Islam (Shiite). Nahjul Balagha, Saying 201 -
Where there is forgiveness, there is God Himself. Sikhism. Adi Granth, Shalok,
Kabir, p. 1372
If you efface and overlook and forgive, then lo! God is forgiving, merciful. Islam. Qur’an 64.14
The superior man tends to forgive wrongs and deals leniently with crimes. Confucianism. I Ching 40: Release
If you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Christianity. Matthew 5.23-24
The Day of Atonement atones for sins against God, not for sins against man, unless the injured person has been appeased. Judaism. Mishnah, Yoma 8.9
Show endurance in humiliation and bear no grudge. Retribution Taoism. Treatise on Response.
You shall not take vengeance or bear any grudge against the sons of your own people, Judaism and Christianity.
but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord Leviticus 19.18
Who takes vengeance or bears a grudge acts like one who, having cut one hand while Judaism. Jerusalem Talmud, handling a knife, avenges himself by stabbing the other hand. Nedarim 9.4
Moses son of Imran said, “My Lord, who is the greatest of Thy servants in Thy estimation?” and received the reply, “The one who forgives when he is in a position of power.”
I Better and more rewarding is God’s reward to those who believe and put their trust in Him: who avoid gross sins and indecencies and, when angered, are willing to forgive... Islam. Hadith of Baihaqi
Let evil be rewarded by like evil, but he who forgives and seeks reconciliation shall be rewarded by God. He does not love the wrongdoers.... True constancy lies in forgiveness and patient forbearance. Islam. Qur’an 42.36-43
In reconciling a great injury, Some injury is sure to remain. How can this be good? Therefore the sage holds the left-hand tally [obligation] of a contract;
He does not blame others.
The person of virtue attends to the obligation;
The person without virtue attends to the exactions. Taoism. Tao Te Ching 79
Paryushan starts when Paryushan ends ...
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