A New Look at Paryushan

Paryushan / Das Lakshan is a religious festival that Jains celebrate with a great enthusiasm. It is marked by ten days of religious festivities in which each day is devoted to one virtue or dharma. Many of us view it as a period to recharge our spiritual side, in which we devote time in the temple doing worships, fasts, and listening to spiritual discourses.

However, the ten virtues that are central to this festival give us much more than religious and moral values. In this post, I will try to outline a different way of looking at Paryushan by taking a few of these virtues as example. If we use this new paradigm, we find that these virtues have solid practical advice hidden in them that has relevance in our daily life. Even if we try to understand and practice one of these virtues in real life situations, it has a potential of changing our life for better.

1. उत्तम क्षमा / Uttam Chama 
2. उत्तम मार्दव / Uttam Mardav 
3. उत्तम आर्जव / Uttam Aarjav 
4. उत्तम शौच / Uttam Shauch 
5. उत्तम सत्य / Uttam Satya 
6. उत्तम संयम / Uttam Sanyam 
7. उत्तम तप - Uttam Tap 
8. उत्तम त्याग / Uttam Tyaag 
9. उत्तम अकिंचन्य / Uttam Akinchanya 
10. उत्तम ब्रहमचर्य / Uttam Brahamacharya

Uttam Kshama – Forgiveness 

When someone hurts us, we should be quick to forgive him, and if we hurt someone, we should come forward and apologize. This is established as one of the most fundamental way of improving inter-personal relationships. Most common cause of a broken relationship is the lack of forgiveness. Hence, it makes a perfect practical sense to adopt forgiveness as a way of life and be more tolerant towards the fault of others. However, it goes a little further and urges you to be equally tolerant towards your own flaws as well. When your own actions do not measure up to your standards, do not be too harsh in your judgment. Accept your own mistakes with the same feeling of forgiveness as you accept others.

Uttam Mardav – Humility and Modesty

All of us are created equal; no one is inferior or superior. If we start treating others with humility, it will pave the way for a much better society. The principle is simple to understand, but not easy to practice. People either tend to treat others as inferior or superior to them most of the times. This is of significant practical value as getting rid of your pride can help you relate much better to others and win you many friends.   

Uttam Arjav – Integrity

If one lacks integrity, he will think one thing, speak something else and do something entirely different. Such a person loses credibility very quickly. On the contrary if we want to win the trust of others, we have to practice integrity. Say as you think, and do as you say. This is not just a great moral value, but most successful companies are adopting it as corporate value these days. Without integrity and trust, it is hard to do business, and even harder to establish a long lasting relationship.

Uttam Shauch – Purity and Contentment

While we talk about purity here, it is not only the purity of body that can be achieved by cleanliness, but purity of soul, that requires us to be content. There is no end of desires, and if we are not content with what we have, it leads to unhappiness in life. 

Uttam Satya – Truth

The benefits of being truthful are very well known. It has such an impact on our life and happiness. Gandhiji also gave a lot of stress on being truthful. It also implies that we should always seek the truth. However, this principle goes a bit further and asks us to not only speak truth, but also ensure that we do not hurt others by saying harsh words to them. With the rampant menace of fake news, it has become vital now to apply this principle before we post anything on social media.

Uttam Sanyam – Self-regulation, and Moderation

Watch a deepak (lamp) that illuminate our house; it contains the same fire that can cause devastation if left uncontrolled, but when this fire is carefully regulated in the lamp, it gives us light. In the same way, when we harness or channelize our energies in a positive way, it becomes a constructive force that moves our world. If we do not, it will cause negative impact on our lives. To channelize our energies, we must exercise self-control or sanyam that ensures that the fire does not get an uncontrolled supply of fuel and get out of control. This is a very practical argument in favor of living a disciplined, purposeful life.

Uttam Tap - Reducing Indulgence 

It is well known that over-indulgence inevitably leads to unhappiness in life. Uttam Tap aims at 

reducing indulgence and keeping desires and passions in control. Some of the useful practices involved at physical level are fasting, avoiding overeating and unhealthy foods. At the spiritual level it involves meditation, which is a universally acknowledged practice to steady your mind. 

Uttam Tyag - Renunciation 

Uttam Tyag or renunciation works at two levels - at physical level it is about giving up worldly possessions and live a life of contentment while keeping desires in check, and at emotional level by letting go of the emotions, that can cause major stress to us. You are known not by the amount of your accumulated wealth but by the wealth you renounce for others. Renunciation is done at the highest level by saints who renounce not only the household but also all their negative emotions. 

Uttam Akinchan – Non-attachment

Akinchan encourages us to reduce parigraha (belongings) and reduce our attachment towards it. It is also about avoiding excessive consumption. While the world is grappling with the problem of how to go green to control the damage to our environment, Akinchan shows a simple way to do it. If all of us reduce our consumption, our belongings, our carbon footprint, we can leave a better earth for our future generations. We need to learn how to go after less, not more. Excessive attachment  to possessions causes unhappiness in our life.

Uttam Brahmacharya - Free Yourself from Senses

Uttam Brahmacharya aims at reducing our dependence on sensory gratification so that you can use your energy for higher pursuits. We can become more effective if we stop being a slave of our senses, as this allows us to do what is important for us, not just what gives us the momentary physical pleasure. The saints practice this to the highest degree with their body, speech and mind, refraining from all pleasures associated with the senses so that they can pursue their supreme goal of salvation.

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I offer my advance apologies to the purists who may not like this interpretation of Paryushan, my intent is not to temper with religion, but to extract more practical value out of it.