FESTIVALS OF SEPTEMBER

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The Paryushan Parva (festival) is the most important and pinnacle  festival among the Jain festivals. Paryushan  is a festival of self-discipline through fasting, equanimity and other ascetic practices.  Men, women  and children as well as monks and nuns  undertake fasts with varying strictness.  Svetämbars celebrate eight days of Paryushan  with daily prayers, reading of  Kalpasutra scriptures, life of Lord Mahavira, penance, meditation and self repentance for violating knowingly  and unknowingly the basic rules of conduct of a householder.During Paryushana, there are regular sermons and ceremonies in the temples On the last day, jain members  greet each other and ask forgiveness (Kshama-yachna)  for any pain that might have been caused knowingly or unknowingly by any of their actions during the past year.

Digambar Jains celebrate Paryushan for 10 days, Dash Lakshan. During the Parva  they read and discuss 10 virtues,  which are called the cardinal virtues. These cardinal virtues are the inherent qualities of a human soul.  The 10 cardinal virtues are :

The festival ordains the Jains to observe the above  mentioned ten universal supreme virtues in daily practical life. Besides assuring a blissful existence in this world and the other world for every living being, it aims at the attainment of salvation - the supreme ideal for mundane soul. The non-Jains also express high reverence for this Jain festival. All members of Jain community- high and low, young and old, and males and females, participate with full vigor and zeal in the various religious rituals and cultural programs. They listen to the holy sermons of the saints and learned Jain scholars arranged during the ten-day festival. In these celebrations lie dormant the seeds of the well  being, peace and happiness of the common man. These celebrations harbinger social harmony and amity and preach the lofty Jain motto ‘Live and Let live’.

Requesting Forgiveness

At the conclusion of the festival, members request each other and all living beings for forgiveness for all offenses committed during the last year.. 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 mistakes. The quality of the forgiveness requires humility (vinay - absence of ego) and suppression of anger. Therefore, the real purpose of the Paryushan 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. 

Paryushan  Parva gives expression to the perfectly purified trait of the soul, through which one gets rid of worldly discords and allurements and one gets fully absorbed in the eternal truth on experiencing and realizing the true nature of soul. In other words we can say that the natural realization of the trio ‘the True, the Good and the Beautiful’ This festival puts an end to all evils in man; gives him realization of the eternal bliss, and spiritualism becomes alive by the celebration of this festival.

To sum up, Paryushan  Parva is a grandest of the  Jain festival of self-introspection, 
self-enlightenment and self-achievement, which ultimately leads to the one and 
only one final goal, i.e., liberation or salvation.

 Complied by Dr. Pradeep Shah, 2006, Dallas, Texas

The Jewish New Year takes place around September/October, and is considered one of the most important and serious holidays (or High Holy Days) in the Jewish calendar. As well as being a time for celebration it is also a time for reflection and repentance for sins committed in the previous year. In synagogue, people pray to God to forgive them for their wrongdoings and to give them a good year - during the service a Shofar, or ram's horn, is blown, to alert congregants to the seriousness of the festival and the fact that God is deciding their fates for the coming year - which will be sealed on the Day Of Atonement ten days later. This period is known as The Ten Days Of Repentance and is traditionally a solemn time.

However, Rosh Hashanah is also a time for celebration - other traditions include eating apples dipped in honey in the hope that this will lead to a sweet year.

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THE SPIRIT OF NAVARATRI
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Among the popular festivals celebrated in India, Navaratri is among
the longest.

Like the other festivals of India, Navaratri is rich in meaning. At
one level, Navaratri signifies the progress of a spiritual aspirant.
During this spiritual journey, the aspirant has to pass three stages
personified by Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati. Then, he or she enters
into the realm of the infinite, wherein one realises one's Self.
Navaratri, which literally means 'nine nights,' dedicates three days
each to worshipping the Divine in the forms of Durga, Lakshmi and
Saraswati. The tenth day, though, is the most important; it is known
as Vijayadashami, the 'tenth day of victory.'

The reason behind the worshipping of Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati
lies rooted in the philosophy that the attributeless absolute can
only be known through the world of attributes—the journey is from the
known to the unknown. Hence it is said that Shiva, who symbolises
pure consciousness, can only be known through Shakti, who represents
divine energy. That is why people worship Shakti, also known as Devi,
in Her various manifestations.

Inner Meaning of Navaratri Worship

The different stages of spiritual progress are reflected in the
sequence of celebrations during Navaratri. During the first three
days, Durga is worshipped. She personifies that aspect of shakti
which destroys our negative tendencies. The process of trying to
control our senses is akin to a war for the mind which resists all
attempts at control. So the stories in the Puranas symbolically
depict Devi in the form of Durga as waging war and destroying the
asuras.

However, getting temporary relief from the clutches of vasanas does
not guarantee permanent liberation from them. The seeds of the
vasanas will remain within in latent form. Therefore, we should
supplant them with positive qualities. The Bhagavad Gita refers to
these qualities as daivi-sampat, literally "Divine wealth."
Correspondingly, we worship Lakshmi during the next three days.
Lakshmi is not just the giver of gross wealth or prosperity; She is
the Mother who gives according to the needs of Her children.
Only one endowed with daivi-sampat is fit to receive the knowledge of
the Supreme. Accordingly, the last three days of Navaratri are
dedicated to worshipping Saraswati, the embodiment of Knowledge. She
is depicted as wearing a pure-white sari, which symbolises the
illumination of the Supreme Truth.

The tenth day is Vijaya Dashami, or the festival of victory,
symbolising the moment when Truth dawns within.
Significance of Navaratri for Householders
However, Navaratri is not only significant for spiritual aspirants;
it has a message for those who lead a worldly life as well. They
should invoke Durga's help to surmount obstacles, pray to Lakshmi to
bestow peace and prosperity, and contemplate upon Saraswati in order
to gain knowledge. These three ingredients are just as necessary for
a full and complete worldly life. In reality, when we pray like this,
we are but invoking the Shakti that is within ourselves.

Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati are not different entities, but
different facets of the singular Divinity.
Some of the spiritual practices associated with Navaratri include
fruit and milk fasts, japa (mantra chanting), chanting of hymns
dedicated to Devi in Her different forms, prayer, meditation and
recitation of sacred texts including the Devi Mahatmya, Sri Lalita
Sahasranama and the Durga Saptashati.

Navaratri, Dussehra and the Ramayana
Navaratri highlights the principles elucidated by the Ramayana. This
is hinted at in the other name by which Vijaya Dashami is known in
India, Dussehra. "Dussehra" is derived from "Dasha-hara," which
means "victory over the ten-faced one." This ten-faced being
("Dashamukha") is none other than Ravana, Lord Rama's adversary. His
ten heads symbolise the ten senses (five of perception and five of
action). Ravana's manifest extrovertedness stands in contrast to
Dasharatha, Lord Rama's father, whose name can be taken to mean "one
who has controlled his ten senses." That he is father to a Divine
Incarnation suggests that only when one is able to subdue all ten
senses can one realise the divinity within.

In similar allegorical fashion, Sita, Rama's consort, represents the
mind. As long as the mind remains wedded to the Self within, so long
will bliss ensue. That is why Rama and Sita are depicted as enjoying
a harmonious and satisfying relationship, both amidst palatial
comforts and the privations of the forest. As soon as the mind
withdraws from the Self and turns outwards to worldly objects, bliss
ceases, and sorrow follows. In the Ramayana, Sita becomes distracted
by a golden deer, actually an asura (demon) in disguise, and starts
coveting it. Rama counsels her on its true nature, but Sita remains
deaf to his words of wisdom, and insists that he captures it for her.
Rama orders Lakshmana to remain with Sita and protect her from
danger, while He pursues the deer. As soon as Rama hunts it down, the
magical deer treacherously calls out, in Rama's voice, to Lakshmana
and Sita for help. Hearing this, Sita is convinced that Rama's life
is in danger and tells Lakshmana to hurry to Rama's rescue.
Lakshmana, who represents tapas (austerity), recognises that the
situation is a trap and tries to advise Sita accordingly. Sita
arrogantly rebuffs his explanations and orders him to leave at once.
Seeing no other way out, Lakshmana leaves in search of his brother.
Before leaving, he draws a line on the ground and warns Sita not to
cross the line. This line, the Lakshman rekha, marks the limits of
morally permissible behaviour. Because Sita trespasses into forbidden
territory, she has to suffer the consequences: she is taken captive
by Ravana. Only after this ten-headed egoist gets destroyed, only
after the ten senses are controlled, is Sita reunited with Rama.
The story of the Ramayana is relevant to us as well. If we wish to
progress spiritually, we have to first make efforts to control the
negative tendencies. Only then can we cultivate the positive ones. In
the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna enumerates the signs of a Jnani (one
who has realised the Self), not because an ordinary person can
recognise such signs, but so that we may cultivate those qualities.
Likewise, Amma says that we should read stories about Lord Rama so
that we may become Rama Himself, that is, imbibe His noble qualities.

Navaratri

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THE SPIRIT OF RAMZAAN
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Fasting in Ramadan, (Ramzaan in South Asia) the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, is
generally taught with ritual precision: abstaining from food, drink
and intimate relations from dawn to dusk. Ironically, Ramadan is best
known,whether by Muslims or others the world over for its exotic
culinary delicacies.

Ramadan, however, has nothing to do with feasting. The spirit and
intent of Ramadan lies in a human transformation, with hunger and
thirst being merely the first stage, the external dimension, in a
month-long inner journey of struggle and discovery.

For starters, fasting is not solely about hunger and thirst. The
prophet taught that God has no need for the hunger and thirst of
someone who hurts others, violates their dignity or usurps their
rights.The fasting of the stomach must be matched by the fasting of
the limbs.The eyes, ears, tongue, hands and feet all have their
respective fasts to undergo. The tongue's temptations, for example -
lies, backbiting, slander, vulgarity and senseless argumentation -
must be challenged and curbed to maintain the integrity of the fast.

Consciousness of behaviour and vigilance over action are meant to lead
to the most profound dimension of fasting: the fasting of the heart in
focus on, and attachment to, the divine. It is then that Ramadan
really becomes a source of peace and solace.

Fasting is meant to impart a sense of what it means to be truly human.

We are more than the sum of our parts, more than mere material
creatures or a series of conditioned responses. Different traditions
have different names for it - soul, spirit, heart - but almost all
argue that we possess an essence beyond our physical body. It is
perhaps this recognition that accounts for the fact that fasting is a
common practice in other faith traditions.

True fasting is self-purification and, from this, a rich inner life
embellished with values such as justice, generosity, patience,
kindness forgiveness, mercy and empathy - values that are
indispensable, especially mercy and empathy, to communal life as we
know it.

The world has shrunk but so, it seems, has our empathy for one
another.

Perhaps we should ask why is it so difficult to connect with others?

One reason is that knowing about hunger is different from knowing
hunger. Empathy is not an intellectual equation; it is a human
experience. In our ivory towers, we are typically spectators to the
human drama around us. Our hardness of heart often springs from our
distance from the human condition of others. The poor, sick,
disenfranchised, oppressed - we have rarely walked a mile in their
shoes, or even just a few footsteps. "Rest assured," cautioned one
teacher, "if you do not taste what it feels like to be hungry, you
will not care for those who are."

That 1.2 billion Muslims are fasting concurrently speaks to the
universality of fasting in transcending the barriers of geography,
colour and race. For fasting to be truly universal, however, its
benefits must extend beyond the fraternal ties of Muslims and must
extend to forging a common humanity with others. Each one of us must
look within.

As an abrupt break in our annual routine, Ramadan will come and go
with such stealth that we cannot but be reminded of our mortality.
What is it that we value and why? The food and drink, previously
indulged in with a sense of necessity, even urgency, were reduced
with no dire consequence.Habits, customs, obsessive behaviours like
smoking, too, were curtailed with relative ease in the face of a
higher calling. What does it mean to be a global citizen living in
Canada, a land of tremendous privilege? How much of me is really an
algorithm of consumption?

Though the annual ritual of fasting takes 30 days, its true
destination is endless. May we always hunger to discover our heart.