Prayers and Rituals

What are the Jain Daily prayers?

Practically all Jains will start the day with a recitation of Navkaar mantra, a forgiveness prayer and a prayer for bliss for all.

Navkaar mantra:

namo arihantänarm
namo siddhänam
namo äyariyänam
namo uvajjhäyänam
namo loe savvasähünam
eso pancha namukkäro
savvapävappanäsano
mangalänam cha savvesim
padhamam havai mangalam

Obeisance to the spiritual victors, Obeisance to the liberated souls,
Obeisance to the spiritual leaders, Obeisance to the spiritual teachers,
Obeisance to all saints in the world, who practice non-violence and reverence for all life in action, and pluralistic viewpoint in their thinking.
These fivefold obeisance removes all sins and is the most auspicious of all benedictions.

Forgiveness Prayer:

khämemi savvajive,
savve jivä khamantu me
mitti me savva bhuesu,
veram majjha na kenai

I forgive all living beings; may all living beings forgive me, All living beings are my friends; I have malice towards none.

Prayer of Bliss for all:

shivamastu sarvajagatah,
parahitaniratä bhavantu bhütaganäh
dosäh prayäntu näsham,
sarvatra sukhibhavatu lokah

May the entire universe be blissful;
May all beings be engaged in each other's well being. May all weakness, sickness and faults vanish;
May everyone be healthy, peaceful, and blissful everywhere.

Do Jains observe any festivals?

Jains observe many sacred days as festivals, which are mostly spiritual in nature. The main among them are the Paryushana in late August or early September, Mahavira’s birth day in April, Mahavira’s death anniversary as Diwali in November, and ayambil oli in April and October as a nine day period of semi-fasting with bland food. 

The Paryushana is an annual period of atonement and repentance for the acts of the previous year, and of austerities to help shed accumulated karma. Svetambaras observe by listening to the Kalpa Sutra (sacred text), taking positive steps to ensure that living beings are not killed, showing amity to fellow Jains, forgiveness to all, austerity, and visiting neighbouring temples / upashrayas. On the final day (samvatsari) Jains seek forgiveness from all for any harm, which they have caused and forgive those who have harmed them saying ‘micchami dukkadam’.  Digambaras observe Paryushana for 10 days, each day devoted to the basic teachings of Jainism: forgiveness, humility, straightforwardness, contentment, truth, self-restraint, penance, renunciation, non-attachment and control of senses. Paryushana is concluded with a community dinner.

[Jain ritual of bathing Jina]

What social rituals do Jains observe?

Jains observe many social rituals, the major ones are: the blessings for a viable foetus (dhriti sanskaar or kholo bharavo); the birth celebration; the naming ceremony; the ceremony of giving solid food to a child for the first time; the commencement of learning; and the ceremonies for marriage and death. Jains also perform rituals on the commencement of building a house, entry into a new house or business venture, and initiating the New Year’s accounts.

While some Jain social customs may show Hindu influence, there are distinctive Jain features to these rituals, such as the recital of the Navakara Mantra, worship using diagrams (yantras), pujaa and the recitation for peace.

How do Jains take care of a dying person and how do they dispose of a dead body?
 
It is customary for a senior community member and relatives to visit a dying person, give moral and spiritual support, and motivate him or her to recite the Navakara Mantra to ask for forgiveness for any wrong committed to others and forgive all who have done wrong to him or her, and have a peaceful death. 

Jains would like a dead body to be cremated as soon as possible after death, but in the western world there is some delay because of the formalities. After death community members visit the bereaved’s house and offer all possible support, sing hymns explaining the temporary nature of the body, and pray for peace and the permanent bliss of the soul of the deceased. It is customary for the community to participate in the funeral ceremony, offer prayers, express sympathies and for the bereaved family to give donations for humanitarian or animal welfare causes.