Paryushana: What is the Jain festival and how is it observed?

Jainism is an ancient Indian religion, one of its defining principles being a commitment to non-violence.

The annual commemoration is regarded as the most holy event of the year for Jains, as those who observe it fast, reflect on the past year and repent for any wrongdoings they may have committed.

Here is everything you need to know.

When is Paryushana this year?

This year Paryushana is taking place from Saturday 15 August until Saturday 22 August.

The festival is commemorated across India in the month of Bhadrapada on the Hindu calendar, which falls between August and September on the Gregorian calendar every year.

Tomorrow begins the biggest & most important festival of jains "paryushana", 8/10 days of fasting , meditation ,Svādhyāya, Pratikrāmaṇa & forgiveness .

It is a solemn occasion that is observed as a time of penance and purification

How long is it observed for?

There are two major sects in Jainism: the Digambara (meaning sky-clad in Sanksrit) and the Svetambara (meaning white-clad). Monks in the Digambara sect do not wear clothes, while monks in the Svetambara sect wear white clothing, hence their names.

Jains in the Svetambara sect observe Paryushana for eight days, while Jains in the Digambara sect commemorate the holy festival for 10 days.

Furthermore, Jains in the Digambara sect refer to the festival as Das Lakshana, while Jains in the Svetambara sect refer to it as Paryushana, explains the Jaina Education Committee.

“During these eight or ten days, the entire Jain community becomes engrossed in spiritual and religious activities,” the committee states.

What is the significance of the festival and how is it observed?

Paryushana, which means “abiding” or “coming together”, is a festival of forgiveness, with those who observe it taking the time to reflect and repent.

Those who take part traditionally go to temples and impose restrictions on themselves, such as through the act of fasting.

The festival is “marked by strict observance of the 10 cardinal virtues”, the Federation of Jain Associations in North America states.

These are: forgiveness, charity, simplicity, contentment, truthfulness, self-restraint, fasting, detachment, humility and continence, the organisation outlines.

CM Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray had a virtual meeting with the Jain Sangathans of Mumbai, requesting them to observe Paryushana from home, to keep themselves and their loved ones safe from COVID-19 by not congregating for the same.

— CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra)

August 14, 2020

“A Jain is supposed to spend the time focusing inward on their own soul, reflecting on their habits and actions, and affirming their commitments to Jain principles,” states the Young Jains of America.

The final day of the festival, which is known as Samvatsari, involves worshippers making a confession for the sins they have committed during the previous year. The confession is called Samvatsari Pratikramana.

“During the Pratakraman, we repent or ask for forgiveness for various deeds where we might have done wrong. It also reminds us of what is right and what is wrong, so we can attempt to prevent those things from happening again in future,” it states in an article published by the Federation of Jaina.

Reference: Independent: Sabrina Barr 13 hrs ago:16th August 2020

MultiDimensional Bodies - 2

The millivoltage is between a half to a third as strong as that of a resting muscle. Changes in readings from this energy field, caused by sound or light, occured before those in the body. Dr Hunt believes 'a person's primary response in this world takes place first in the auric field, not in the sensory nerves nor in the brain'. The field apparently increases when a person walks barefoot on grass, or takes a swim, or cold shower, 'probably because of the increased negative ions,' says Hunt.

At the physics department of the University California in Los Angeles, Dr Hunt's research continued in the Mu room - a seven foot square environment in which the electromagnetic energy of the air can be manipulated. It's large enough to accommodate more than one person, adding an extra dimension to the experiments. There she discovered that if the electrical level was reduced, the 'aura' or 'energy field' became disorganized, and the subjects lost the sense of where their bodies were located in the space.

When the electromagnetism was depleted, there was more interaction between the fields of the people as each would try to compensate by drawing on the energy of another in the room. The result was everyone's field became even more depleted.

All of this is fascinating enough, but there were more interesting effects to discover. If the electrical field in the room was increased , the auric fields returned to their usual state, and the people reported an expansion of consciousness and clarity of thought. When the electrical level in the room was normal, but the magnetism decreased, the people found simple coordination tests, such as putting a finger to the nose, difficult. With the electricity the same, but the magnetism increased, the subjects had vastly increased motor ability, being able to lean over at an extraordinary angle, and to balance on the toes of one foot.

Working concurrently with clairvoyants, Hunt discovered that when the auric field was depleted in the Mu room, a fishnet effect of energy could be seen flowing through the whole body. The pattern of the flow did not correspond with the meridian lines of classical Chinese medicine, for example, but seemed more to follow the path of connective tissue.

Dr Hunt also carried out research involving rolfers: therapists who deeply manipulate the connective tissue of a body, Such manipulation can cause as person to feel emotions, see pictures in their mind, and remember incidences in the past. It was found that if a subject experienced imagery - spontaneous pictures - there was a back-and-forth energy shift between the throat and brow chakras. memory appears to be related to chakra, or energy centre, activity.

Many other eminent scientists have tried to measure the electromagnetic field, starting in 1845 with German inventor Karl von Reichenbach who called it an 'odic force'; Russian physicist Vladimir M. Inyushin who referred to 'bio-plasma'; Dr Harold Burr, Yale professor of neuro-anatomy, who in Blueprint for Immortality spoke of 'life fields'; and Robert Becker MD, co-author of the Body Electric, amongst others.

There have also been those who have captured the energy in photographic form, notably Semyon and Valentina Kirlian. many of the electromagnetic researchers worked in relative obscurity, but today on many a high street you can have your aura visually recorded by 'aura imaging' or Kirlian photography cameras.

Reference: The Fragrant Heavens: Valerie Ann Worwood

MultiDimensional Bodies

There will always be mysteries; the universe is too large to allow anything other than that. I'm hoping, though, that in the not too distant future science will be able to explain one of the most intriguing aspects of life - multidimensional radiant bodies. Apart from the physical body, we have an 'aura'; a light which surrounds the body and is often depicted as a halo in paintings of saints an d holy people.

We also have energy centres in the body, known as chakras, and, according to some, an etheric body, an astral body and a mental body - all usually invisible energy fields which connect us to the universe. These names have arisen from the European esoteric tradition of the early twentieth century, which has its roots in ancient India and other Asian ideas. More recently, people talk in terms of 'the light body' and 'the emotional body', and 'auric field', which are all aspects of the same phenomenon.

Very few people can see auras, let alone the etheric, astral or mental bodies. This is not to say they don't exist. Anyone with the right kind of sensitivity, opportunity and practice could, if doing regular therapeutic work with people, fell the auric field and chakras. Many of us might have an idea of the way the various energy fields might be operating, but in this area of study there is a great deal of speculation and little scientific proof.

One person who has done valuable work in this area is scientist Dr Valerie Hunt, working both with the most technologically advanced equipment and specialist research environments, and with people with visionary powers that are probably as ancient as the human race itself. Some call what she studies the aura, although Dr Hunt, author of 'The Infinite Mind'; The Science of Human Vibrations, prefers the term 'energy field'.

At the same time as machinery recorded electromagnetic energy in people subjected to various research procedures, clairvoyants and healers recorded what they saw. The correlation between these, taken together with the concurrent recorded experiences of the research participants, including herself, led Dr Hunt to hypothesize that 'the energy field is the highest level of the mind of man (humankind) and that it is through this level that we interrelate with the cosmosphere.

It's well known that there's an alternating electrical system that can be measured with electrodes placed on the surface of the body, and this alternating current of the nervous system affects a great deal, including the brain, muscles, glands and our touch sensation. The on-off quality of this energy is reflected in the beat of a heart, the contract-relax double action of a muscle, and the peak and dips of a brain wave. Many of us have had this energy monitored through, for example, an electrocardiogram (ECG) machine, which measures electrical heart function, or an electroencephalography (EEG) machine, which measures the electrical activity from different parts of the brain and determines whether we are dead or alive.

Dr Hunt was interested in another form of electromagnetic energy in the body, which is thought to derive from the fact that each subatomic particle and cell in the body has an electrical element. dr. Hunt has discovered that this second energy is continuous, not alternating.

From her recordings, Dr Hunt could remove the data relating to brain, heart and muscle frequencies (0-250 cycles per second), and identify data coming from this electromagnetic system (which oscillates at 500-20,000 cycles per second, and maybe more as the machinery couldn't record any higher) This energy field is smaller in amplitude and higher in frequency than the brain-heart-muscle system, and eight to ten times faster. 

Reference: The Fragrant Heavens: Valerie Ann Worwood

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Making Your Own Smudge Sticks or herb Bundles

Before starting any activity as spiritually directed as making herb bundles, wash yourself, or at the very least, wash your hands and forearms, letting the water run down them, to flush away any energy held.

All plants that are picked and dried should be honoured. Take only one stem or two, so the pant can continue to flourish. Have empathy, and show the plant respect. Ask permission of the plant, that you may take this branch to perform your spiritual practice. Your intuition will tell you whether it is right or wrong - when another plant should be chosen.

Pick stems that are long enough to be bound together. look in your garden to see what has grown and matured. The herb garden is a good place to start; you could use sage, lavender, rosemary, thyme, oregano or clary sage. If you have access to cypress or pine, you could use a small, young branch. It is sometimes said that herbs or other materials that are indigenous to the region should be used, but my favourite, Californian white sage, comes from a place far away from my home.

Essential oils can be added to your bundle before tying. They are highly concentrated energy forms and will increase the energetic potential of the plant(s). Use them in moderation, remembering that they are flammable. Try to use an essential oil or oils that are compatible with your bundle, that is, from the same kind of plant.

However, if a particular herb, plant or tree - such as cypress, cedar or pine - is not available, by adding that essential oil we can bring the plant's energy into the smoke, in fragrance form.

Arrange a small handful of stems and leaves, not using so much that there will be difficulty in burning, or too much smoke produced. put the stems in a rubber band to keep the pieces together while you tie the bundle, removing it when you've finished. Take a long piece o doubled cotton thread and place the top of the bundle together tightly, in a criss-cross fashion.

Start at the top, criss-crossing the length of the bundle, and finish by winding the cotton around the bottom part of the stems. You'll now have a cone shaped bundle. It needs to dry before it'll burn, so hang it upside down in a dry place; an airing cupboard would be ideal.

To use the herb bundle, ignite the end then put out the fire, so it's just smouldering. Hold a small fireproof bowl under the bunch to catch any alight pieces that may drop as the bundle burns. Then walk around the room slowly, wafting the smoke into all the corners so it gradually clears away negative influences and energizes the protective, cleansing frequencies.

If smudging a person, walk around them; If smudging yourself, move the bundle around yourself, or move your body, so the smoke can enfold you. Start at the top moving down to the feet where the energy will disperse into the ground. The smoke can be directed with a cupped hand, a feather, a bunch of fresh herbs or leaves, a flower, or a crystal stone - whatever feels right for you.

Do this with pure thought. Some people do it with prayer, chanting or singing but do what feels right for you. When you have finished, place the bundle down carefully with a fireproof dish underneath, as it might still contain burning material - the idea is to have a spiritual smoke 'wash', not set fire to your home1 Then, open a window.

Decorative Bundles
If you do not plan to burn the bundle, a whole world of possibility opens up. Bundles can be bound incorporating colour, texture and meaning. Essential oils will add fragrance and energy. Try flowers like marigold or rose. Spices such as cinnamon sticks and clove, and fruits in the form of dried lemon or orange peel, are cleansing in their own right.

Small pieces of fragrant wood can be added and, depending on how you plan to display the bundle, other objects wound into the arrangement - such as crystals and minerals, and the small light rocks that are the resins in their original form.

Herbal Smoke Bowls
Another method of using smoke involves putting a drop of an essential oil on a small amount of dried material on a big shell or a piece of fireproof pottery or glass, then setting light to the material and putting out the flame to release the smoke.

Reference: The Fragrant heavens: Valerie Ann Worwood