Editor Aparigraha Jain
Editor Carla Geerdes
Samani Pratibha Pragyaji giving Paryushan Morning Lecture based on Kalpa Sutra
During the week of Paryushan, every morning from 10:00-11:30 am the Samanijis gave lectures in English and Hindi language and had organised a special program for the kids. Every lecture was for 45 minutes, the other 45 minutes, each Samaniji cared for the kids. The kid's program was conducted in English language, as all of the youngsters had been born in London. Every day, at the end of the morning session, the kids got the occasion to show what they had been taught. Everybody enjoyed the morning program, which was focused on the integration of Jain values in daily life with special regard to Paryushan and the life of Lord Mahavira.
Samani Punya Pragyaji delivering Paryushan Morning Lecture based on Antagadadassao
Samani Punya Pragyaji delivered her lectures in Gujarati language in a very amusing way, being prooved by the audience's reactions to her speech. As we are not able to follow Hindi language, we limit the overview on the English lectures given by Samani Pratibha Pragyaji. Her lectures were always related to the given subject, such as rekindle inner light, how to control ego, how to handle anger, how to improve will-power, dream and reality, nonviolent communication, art of enlightenment, spiritual planning. Aim of the lectures was to connect the subjects allied with our day-to-day consciousness to the lives of Lord Mahavira as described in Kalpa Sutra. They contained three steps, first, a spiritual interpretation of the subject was given, second, meaning of the interpretation was explained in contemporary language and third, the time bridge was built to events about 2610 years ago in Lord Mahavira's lives.
Editor Karuna Jain listening to the lecture
Rekindle inner light was straightly related to Paryushan, where all Jains want to stay near to their soul to shed away past year's Karmas by reciting holy prayers and verses, observing fasts and taking vows to continue life less burdened. The story how Lord Mahavira gave the light of spirituality to a tribal head working in the woods after the latter had shared his meal with Mahavira was the spiritual frame.
To control ego is very important for the improvement of social relationships as well as for spiritual growth. All these aspects are related to immaterial actions, whereas ego is necessary for our acting in the material world of perspectives. This was related to an event in a previous life of Lord Mahavira, when he failed insight that all success can only be achieved through hard work, and not by being born into a noble family. For us it was touching to hear this, as all of us know this attitude sometimes from ourselves, more often we are inclined to watch it in other persons.
To handle anger is one of the most virtuous actions in our life. The theatre of violence we are confronted with in the news every day is only one reason to mention, not to speak of our personal attitude sometimes to our dear ones. A story when someone was exposed to enormous pains by filling his ears with wax because he did not obey immediately to an order of a king to stop the music when the latter fell asleep gave the occasion to us to recognise our own actions sometimes, when we overact in front of relatively little transgressions of others.
For every achievement in our life we have to practice willpower, otherwise we are on the way to fail. But how to strengthen it? Fasting is a very good means to recall the energies hitherto unknown to ourselves. People with complete fastings of several days were presented, and they said unanimously that they wondered at the beginning if they are able to fast for only some hours. All of us are very often underestimating our energies. Lord Mahavira was quoted with his ten times eating in twelve years, and only 48 minutes of sleep per day. All these austerities are means to strengthen willpower and to realise what we are dreaming of.
The power of dreams was described as presenting goals or warnings or auspicious events to us, representing the potentialities inside us. As Mother Trishala's fourteen dreams gave the clear message to everybody that an outstanding person is going to be born.
Spiritual planning was related to the spiritual goals we want to reach in our life. Plannings of fasting days or community service give the opportunity to everybody to get nearer to the energies laying more or less dormant in day-to-day life, making us more aware who we are.
Samani Pratibha Pragyaji with the kids
Kids practising Kayotsarg in a circle being in touch with each other through the feet
Samani Punya Pragyaji conducting the kids in Kayotsarg
Editor Karuna Jain with the little ones while Samani Pratibha Pragyaji is in discussion with the youngsters on questions of lifestyle
Front: Kids having taken vows of restraining from eating chocolade and cake for a limited time. Background: Members of the community observing fast.
Concluding prayer after the session
After the lecture, people were interested to talk on it to the Samanijis