'Ritual to Spiritual' - A Close Encounter

With the belief in ‘Each-to-His-Own’ principle, we are in India, as my Dad likely states it, on a ‘Ritual to a Spiritual’ visit. No, by this visit, I do not mean yoga or any form of penance and meditation; rather to witness and be an integral part of a Jain ceremony termed as the Panch-Kalyanak Mahotsav – Five-Event Celebration.

I usually avoid writing/expressing about religion and/or its various facets mainly because of the very sensitivity with which it has been looked upon, the world over. Not that I am an atheist but while I do have certain agnostic perceptions, there is some level of faith that goes beyond the religious aspects. Nevertheless, as I am about to observe closely this celebration, I would like to share some of my experiences therein, without sounding too religious. I aim to express the overall process of this ‘ritual’ and the knowledge gained with a view to document its various steps and capture the overall emotions attached.

I would like to thank my Dad who has contributed most of the conceptual notes on the event without which I may not be able to fully comprehend its essence. Several of his notes are quoted in Italics. If, at any point, you think that the posts do not reveal the true essence of this celebration and/or that it tends to contradict (and upset) your own beliefs, do remember that this is not my intention and in advance, do accept my apologies.

Moving on to the celebration and before I do so, it is important to understand, in brief, a bit about the religion per se. While Wikipedia does a good job of giving a detailed description, simply put, Jainism is a neo-religious way of life wherein its believer usually focuses more on uplifting his/her soul to a level that is devoid of materialistic/worldly activities and moves to one of reflection, introspection, meditation and penance. In today’s day and age, this has proven to be difficult to practice in its entirety, yet there are several individuals who have treaded on this journey. “According to the religion’s spiritual texts, since its evolution, there have been 24 such souls that have followed this path of self-renunciation, gained universal knowledge, thereby attained, what is termed as, liberation of the soul (Moksha) and these individuals/their souls are called Tirthankars.” Devout followers of the Tirthankars are known as Jains and thus the religious connotation.

“Each Tirthankar is highly revered by the Jains (Their devotees) who believe that in so doing, are driven to the path of real peace and happiness.” From this same spirit of devotion also evolves a deep sense of desire to build a space symbolizing an individually driven force for ritual (and spiritual) gratification as well as a community feeling for worship and reverence. This space, typically referred to as a Temple (Mandir), is created with the support, financial and otherwise, from devotees wishing to install an idol – Deities who consecrate one or more of the Tirthankars. The Panch-Kalyanak Mahotsav is thus a five-day event celebrating the installation of the idol – with each event (day), closely observed as each of the life-stages that the Tirthankahrs go through i.e.

1. Conception (Garbhha Kalyanak)
2. Birth (Janma Kalyanak)
3. Renunciation/ Austerity (Dishka Kalyanak)
4. Universal Knowledge/ Omniscience (Kevalgyaan Kalyanak)
5. Liberation (Moksha Kalyanak)

The posts that follow would thus look at each of these events (days) closely. If you have any questions, I may surely not be able to answer most of them, yet a discussion from a more spiritual perspective might be fruitful.

Power of Prayers

I have always believed in the power of prayers. Somehow, in the daily chores, it is not easy to keep reminding oneself of this and every year around this time during Paryushana, the feeling is reiterated in many ways through reflection and reading.

Religion is and has been a sensitive issue for centuries the world over and especially in the current environment we live in, it is hard to find that deep sense of devotion and divinity. However, born and raised in a devout Jain family and the influence of Initiatives of Change has played a key role in fostering spiritual, if not religious, principles and ideologies. So effortlessly, I have grown-up believing in the influence of prayers and the overall concept of God – that resides in me and the fact that one’s main goal is to merge with the force that exists inside us.

While organized form of religion is not my cup of tea, as kids our parents would advice us to form a ‘habit’ of praying – "..not as means of desire or for self-fulfilling prophecies", they would explain, "but as a form of atonement". It may have started out initially as consenting to their advice without truly understanding its essence; now I call it a weapon deeply rooted and a ‘dial-up modem’ used to ‘connect’ to the force within.

Each of us have our own unique definition of prayers. Some recite verses, some meditate, some talk, others listen. On the other hand, there are people who doubt the very existence of such phenomenon. True, there is this agnostic side to all of us, in some more reinforced than in the other. But then don't we all go through that phase at some point, and hopefully, outgrow? Or do people remain in denial of such experiences? I do not have an answer to those who simply refute such faith but I do know that doubting the beliefs has never helped me in challenging situations; on the contrary, that hope and sense of deep faith has facilitated in overcoming such difficult circumstances. Furthermore, to answer the question how prayers help in such cases, I am not sure. Maybe they do, maybe they do not. It is not quite a reflex action of ‘prayers-versus-wishes’ but a form of discipline, a practice that surely bears fruits in some form.

My mentor at Initiatives of Change used to exemplify quite simply that the power of prayers is like that of gravity. We can never truly fathom how such a force like gravity acts in our lives and yet, at a micro level, it keeps us from falling.

Think about it….