Coming together to forgive and heal (1 of 2)

Good morning friends. When people have pain, the best thing to do is by coming together. By doing that you can forgive and then you’ll heal.

Paryushan is the most important annual Jain observance.

For both Shvetambars, who observe the festival over a period of eight days, and Digambars, for whom Paryushan Parva lasts 10 days, this is a of intensive study, reflection and purification. It takes place in the middle of the rainy season, a time when Jain monks and nuns cease travelling and stay with a community and are available to them for instruction and guidance.

Paryushan means “abiding” or “coming together”. It is also a time when the laity takes on vows of study and fasting with a spiritual intensity similar to (temporary) monasticism. Paryushan concludes with confession and forgiveness for the transgressions of the previous year.

The most important part of Paryushan is daily meditation and prayer, which provides an opportunity for looking within and towards the teachings of the Tirthankaras for guidance. Beginning on the fourth day of Paryushan, it is customary for Murtipujak Shvetambars to read from the Kalpa Sutra, a scripture which recounts the life of Mahavira — the 14 dreams of his mother before his birth, followed by the story of his birth, life and liberation. It also recounts the lives of other Tirthankaras and the rules of Paryushan. Among Mahavira’s teachings are those that advocate gender equity, of the importance of ensuring equal status to both women and men.

The book of scripture would be carried ceremonially through the streets, water sprinkled in its path along the way, purifying the entire town. Jains often take time off from work during this period and eat a much simpler diet than their usual vegetarian diet. Jains avoid eating root vegetables like potatoes, onions and garlic — as harvesting them for food would entail destroying the entire plant.

Everything is possible with divine grace (2 of 2)

Scott ascribes a lead position to the role played by Divine Grace, which in some cases operates throughout a person's life. The remarkable survival stories of Jewish prisoners of war in concentration camps substantiate this. The assertion of Jesus Christ that "Many are called, but few are chosen", can also be interpreted as "All of us are called by and to Grace, but few of us choose to listen to the call."

Grace transports one from the platform of understanding of Truth to its full realization. Speaking of the unpredictability of Grace, Jesus is reported to have told Nicodemis, a believer in Christ as the true Messiah, amongst the Pharisees, a sect of non-believers, "Just as you can hear the wind but can't tell where it comes from or where it will go next, so it is with the Spirit. We do not know on whom He will next bestow this life from Heaven." Suffice to say that we are vastly limited from the dimension of our minds to find answers to the ways and workings of the omnipotent force.

Ramana Maharshi said that to try and understand the nature of Self-realisation with the mind is presumptuous. Dependent as the intellect is on the light of the Self, it is incapable of understanding the magnificence of the entire manifestation, of which it is but a limited part. It is like trying to measure the sunlight at its source by the standard of the light given by a candle.

Instead of limiting oneself to the intellect, the wise one opts for the path of devotion or inner reflection, conscious of a higher power. The door of Grace unfolds when the mind bows in wonder, reverence and gratitude to the power of the divine. – The Times of India