Apr 9, 2002, 01.51am IST
ATUL K SHAH.
In india, the day begins with worship. people pray, bow and meditate. members of the jain community all over india bathe, put on fresh clothes and walk barefoot to their local temple. they embark on their daily pilgrimage with no possessions and with high aspirations. some of them carry a cloth mask which they wear when inside the temple. from the moment they walk into the temple, all worldly concerns are set aside to facilitate meditation. their focus is on the tirthankaras, the teachers who conquered their own vices to teach the world about compassion and salvation through example. the recitation of the namokar mahamantra encourages them to salute the achievements of all divine souls who attained salvation. the world today is full of sceptics, who have little or no faith in religion. they feel that god has no place on earth, and dismiss all religions as mere ‘dogma’ and that too, against reason. in reality, most indian traditions cannot be labelled as religions in the western sense; they are actually dharma or the science of sustainable living. far from being dogmatic, they are open to rational debate and analysis. in fact, quite a few indian spiritual traditions have made invaluable contributions to modern science. the design of a jain temple is simple, yet it is beautiful. there is plenty of natural light and a cool temperature. great attention is paid to cleanliness. each morning figures of the tirthankaras are bathed and the devotees pray that their virtues rub on to themselves. these enlightened teachers taught us the science of sustainable living through non- violence, non-possessiveness and a reverence for all living beings. the worshippers seek inspiration and remind themselves of the values of peaceful co-existence, love, non-materialism and simplicity. the cloth mask which they wear encourages them to recite only pure words and not accidentally breathe any insects and injure them during the act of worship. self-purification is the primary objective of the pooja. the ingredients used in the pooja are also very simple and ecology-friendly: water, rice, flowers and saffron. nothing is wasted. inside the temple, one sees people silently going about their worship, neither arguing nor talking with one another. it is fascinating to watch the children, and it appears as if they are playing and decorating the lord, who is their friend and hero at the same time. everyone feels relaxed and at home inside the temple. there is no show of greed or violence here; the mood is one of peace and tranquillity, without causing hurt to anyone. any scientist witnessing the pooja would be touched by the experience, provided he opens both his heart and his mind. here lies sustainable living in practice, conducted quietly and deliberately without any fanfare. after the pooja, the jain walks home barefoot, in the same way that he came. he re-enters the world of family, work, business or profession. often, this is a messy world, very different from the temple. here one has to engage with people, get involved in transactions and make practical compromises. it is noisy and one is forced to negotiate the traffic jams of daily existence. this seems far removed from the peaceful sanctuary of the temple. the sceptic may argue once again that the worship was useless and did not change a thing. however, the pooja works at a deeper level. it works inside the body, making a mark on the soul. it aims to elevate the inner consciousness such that it is better able to understand the challenges of everyday living and deal with situations as they arise. so when a jain returns home from the temple, he has taken an inner bath which will invigorate his daily activities. there is a good chance that the temple’s ambience of creativity, simplicity and peace will now enter into his relationships and actions. the worshipper may now inspire others by his own positive conduct and character. life presents us with many problems on a daily basis. several books and gurus attempt to address these problems. however, ultimately the responsibility of dealing with them lies with our own self. a sincere act of worship can lift us and strengthen our resolve to face life sincerely and live peacefully and harmoniously. if we begin work with worship, there is a good chance that our work itself becomes an act of worship, where the values of love, tolerance and respect are paramount. if only the whole world would start their day with sincere and meaningful worship...
(the author is editor of the uk-based publication, ‘jain spirit’)
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