Six
Ävashyak Jainism believes that from times immemorial, every soul has
assumed perverted impure nature. Attachment and aversion are the soul’s
impurities. All other impurities such as anger, ego, deceit, greed,
and others are sub-categories of these two impurities. To help to
remove such impurities, Jainism has emphasized certain practices to be
performed regularly by its followers known as Ävashyaka (essential
practices). These practices free the human mind from negative thoughts
of attachment and aversions and enhance soul's spiritual progress which
ultimately leads to liberation. Ancient Jain literature defines six
such activities of which Pratikramana is defined as 4th Ävashyak to be
performed daily by its followers. The six practices are: 1.Sämäyika -
Equanimity 2.Chaturvimshati-Stava - Devotional Prayer 3.Vandanä -
Respecting Ascetics 4.Pratikraman - Repentance and Confession of sins
5.Käyotsarga - Non-attachment to the Body 6.Pratyäkhyäna / Pachchakhäna -
Religious Vows Pratikramana "Prati" means "back" and "kraman" means
"to go", i.e. to go back, to reflect and review, to confess and atone
for transgressions of mind, body, and speech in one’s daily activities.
In other words, it means returning to and reaffirming the path of
nonviolence, truthfulness, and non-attachment. Pratikraman means
sincerely repenting and confessing our faults, forgiving faults of
others, asking forgiveness from others for one’s own transgressions,
and extending friendship to all. The Pratikraman ritual includes many
original texts (Sutras) written in Ardha-Mägadhi and Sanskrit
languages. These Sutras consist of many hymns in praise of Tirthankaras
and many verses of repentance, confession, and requests for
forgiveness. Jain community is divided into two main sects - Shvetämbar
and Digambar. Again, Shvetämbar sect has two branches - Murtipujak and
Sthänakaväsi. In these two branches six essential acts are performed
daily. Monks of these two branches have to necessarily perform these
acts in accordance with the tradition. Devoted Jain laypeople staunchly
observe them. All others voluntarily practice them. During the last
few centuries of Jain literature work indicate that the word
“Pratikraman” is used as a common noun for all six essential acts (six
Ävashyaka). This is also meaningful because during the course of time
the Pratikraman ritual is enhanced to include all six Ävashyaka. Hence
entire Pratikraman ritual which covers all six Ävashyaka or six
essential acts, occupies such an important place in the Jain tradition
as does Sandhyä in the Vedic (Hindu) tradition, Namäj in the Islam,
Kharavela Avesta in the Zoroastrian, Prärthanä (Prayer) in the Jew and
the Christian. It is recommended that Pratikraman be done twice a day,
once in the morning (called Räi Pratikraman) and once in the evening
(called Devasi Pratikraman). The morning Pratikraman is for the
atonement of transgressions incurred during the night and the evening
Pratikraman is for the transgressions of the day. There is provision
for fortnight (Pakkhi), once every four months (Chaumäsi), and yearly
(Samvatsari) Pratikraman observances, if one is unable to comply with
the daily Pratikramans. The annual Pratikraman that all Jains should
strive to observe is called Samvatsari Pratikraman. The Samvatsari
Pratikraman is performed on the last day of Paryushan. Pratikraman and
Six Essentials: 1. Sämäyika - Equanimity To remain in the state of
equanimity without yielding to attachment and aversion and treat all
living beings equal to one’s own self is called Sämäyika. This
procedure is performed to cultivate equal regard towards all living
beings, equanimity towards pleasure and pain, and to be free from
attachment and aversion. The Sämäyika is performed at the commencement
of the observance of Pratikraman ritual. 2. Chaturvimshati Stava -
Prayer: This is the reverential worship of the twenty-four Tirthankars
to reflect on their qualities, such as freedom from attachment and
aversion (Vitaräga). This devotional prayer is also of two types;
external (dravya) and internal (bhãva). To express one’s devotion by
worshipping them with good purifying substances like rice and flower is
the external praise (dravya stuti). And to praise devotionally their
internal natural qualities is the internal praise (bhãva stuti). The
prayer inspires an individual to practice these ideals in one’s own
life. During Pratikraman ritual, this is accomplished through the
recitation of Logassa and Namutthunam Sutras. 3. Vandanä – Respecting
Ascetics Vandanä means offering of respectful salutations to all
ascetics such as Ächäryas, Upädhyäyas, and other monks and nuns. The
suguru vandanä sutra is recited during Pratikraman to pay respect and
obeisance to the ascetics and teachers. 4. Pratikraman – Repentance
and Confession of Sins Pratikraman means to repent and confess past
sinful deeds and thoughts, to protect oneself through the process of
spiritual discipline from the present sinful acts, and to prevent the
future sinful acts through renunciation. Hence Pratikraman means to go
back, to reflect and review, to confess and atone for transgressions of
mind, body, and speech in one’s daily activities. Alongside the six
rites, the Jain ethics system outlines 12 vows of limited nature to be
practiced by the lay people that are less intense than those followed
by monks and nuns who have totally renounced worldly life. Jainism
defines that every one should strive to adopt these vows according to
one's individual capacity and circumstances. The ultimate goal is to
accept them as full vows. During the Pratikraman, a lay person reflects
on these vows. One would repent and ask for forgiveness for one’s past
minor transgressions that may have occurred knowingly or unknowingly.
One would contemplate on each of these vows so that one would be more
aware of such circumstances and would avoid such transgressions in the
future. One should know that to effectively guard against sinful
activities, one should abandon wrong belief (Mithyätva), non-restraint
(Avirati), unawareness or lethargy (Pramäda), passions (Kashäya) and
inauspicious activity (Aprashasta Yoga). To accept right belief after
having given up the wrong one, to achieve self-restraint after having
shunned non-restraint, to become spiritually vigilant after having
abandoned lethargy, to cultivate good qualities like perseverance after
having renounced passions and to attain the true nature of soul after
having given up worldly activities is Pratikraman. If one only
performs the Pratikraman ritual through bodily and verbal acts, and
just verbally confesses the past sinful acts and makes open declaration
not to commit them in future, but in real life one continues to commit
sinful activities without any hesitation, then this type of recitation
of ritual is called Dravya or external Pratikraman. The Dravya
Pratikraman is not useful, but on the contrarily it is harmful. It
deceives one own self and it meant simply to deceive others. If after
the performance of Pratikraman ritual, one minimizes or eliminates the
sinful activities in real life then the Pratikraman is called Bhäva or
internal Pratikraman, which is very useful for the purification of the
soul. During Pratikraman ritual, this is accomplished through the
recitation of Ascetics Forgiveness Sutra (Abbhutthio Sutra), Atonement
of Eighteen Sins (18 Päpsthänak), and Vandittu Sutra reflecting on
Transgression of twelve vows of the laypeople. 5. Käyotsarga –
Non-attachment to the Body Käyä means body and Utsarga means moving away
or rising above. Therefore, Käyotsarga means rising above the physical
body activities to focus on the inner self and thus, develop
non-attachment (Käyotsarga) towards our human body. To perform
Käyotsarga in its true definite form one should also give up all the
defilements from one’s life. One needs to renounce attachment to one’s
body to attain proper concentration, which is required for virtuous
meditation (Dharma Dhyäna) and pure meditation (Shukla Dhyäna). During
Pratikraman ritual, this is accomplished during meditation after
repentance and confession of sins. Also the Pratikraman is performed
while sitting or standing in the meditating position, practicing
Käyotsarga throughout the ritual. Pratyäkhyäna / Pachchakhäna –
Religious Vows Taking religious vows (Renunciation) and its declaration
is called pratyäkhyäna. It too is of two types - external (Dravya) and
internal (Bhãva). Renunciation of external things like food, clothes
etc. is external renunciation (Dravya pratyäkhyäna). And renunciation
of internal impure states of soul, viz, ignorance, anger, greed, ego,
deceit, non-restraint, attachment and aversion generated in soul is
internal renunciation (Bhäva Pratyäkhyäna). One can not attain true
Bhäva Pratyäkhyäna without performing complete Dravya Pratyäkhyäna.
Hence in the beginning one needs to renounce junk and tasty food,
renounce all luxuries, and live a simple life. Now the true performance
of Bhãva pratyäkhyäna (true renunciation) leads to stoppage of karma
(Samvara) gives rise to ultimate equanimity (Sambhava) which in turn
leads to the attainment of liberation. At the conclusion of the
Pratikraman one chooses to observe certain vows (within one's own
capacity). This practice fosters spiritual advancement through
self-control. Conclusion Jain literature clearly indicates that
Pratikraman ritual is meant for repenting and requesting forgiveness
for “one’s past minor transgressions of the vows that may have occurred
knowingly or unknowingly”. The vows for monks and nuns are 5 great
vows and for laypeople are 12 vows of limited nature. Hence only monks,
nuns and laypeople those who follow these vows are eligible for
Pratikraman. The logic is that if one does not practice the vows then
question of repenting and forgiveness of minor transgression of the
vows does not arise. Many Jain laypeople do not practice 12 vows.
Hence after understanding the purpose and meaning of our great ritual,
every Jain should strive to adopt the 12 vows of laypeople according to
one's individual capacity and circumstances. They should review them
before Samvatsari Pratikramana and improve the limit every year in such
a way that ultimately they will be full vows. Hence by performing
Pratikraman one completes all six essential acts which are required by
Jain tradition for our spiritual progress.
