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JAINISM INTRODUCTION



"Namo ariha.ntaaNaM
Namo siddhaaNaM
Namo aayariyaaNaM
Namo uvajjhaayaaNaM
Namo loe savvasaahuNaM
ma.ngalaaNaM cha savvesim
paDhamaM hava{ii} ma.ngalaM"

eso pa.ncha Namokaaro
savva paavapaNaasaNo

MEANING OF NAVKAR MANTRA
I bow to the Arahants, the perfected human beings, Godmen.
I bow to the Siddhas, liberated bodiless souls, God.
I bow to the Acharyas, the masters and heads of congregations.
I bow to the Upadhyayas, the spiritual teachers.
I bow to the spiritual practitioners in the universe, Sadhus.

This fivefold obeisance mantra,
Destroys all sins and obstacles,
And of all auspicious repetitions,
Is the first and foremost.






Jainism Worship



The motive and purpose of Jain worship is very different from worship in many other religions - in fact it would seem that Jain principles make worship both unnecessary and futile.

"What does it mean to worship beings that one believes are completely indifferent to, and entirely beyond the reach, of any form of Worship whatsoever?" Lawrence A Babb



Jains don't worship to please gods, or in the hope of getting something from gods in return. But nevertheless, Jains do worship.

At a superficial level Jain temple worship seems to contain elements similar to worship in Hindu temples. This is the result of the cultural influence of other Indian religions on the Jain community, and not a reflection of the Jain philosophy.

A key difference between Jain and Hindu worship, which seems similar on the surface, is that although Jains appear to worship the tirthankaras in particular they don't worship them as persons: what they worship is the ideal of perfection that the tirthankaras have achieved.



The Purpose of Jain Worship



Jain worship provides the individual with a discipline that helps them concentrate on the Jain ideals, and cultivate detachment.

The worshipper concentrates on the virtues of the tirthankaras and other pure souls, in order to help them follow their example.

So for Jains worship is only a means to an end and not a spiritual end in itself. And worship is not a sufficient means to that end.

"Some religions preach that an individual can be saved by devotion to God, the saviour, or to God's incarnations and intermediaries. Jainism teaches that we can attain true peace and happiness only through behaving and thinking rightly." Acharya Kundakunda
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