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the path of spiritual enlightenment,
earning merit little by little, life
by life. One of the Jain holy texts,
the Tattvartha Sutra, sets out a
sequence of 14 stages through
which the soul must pass to
achieve liberation: the first stage
is called mithyadrishti, in which
the soul is in a spiritual slumber;
the final, 14th, stage is ayoga-kevali,
which is populated by souls known
as siddhas, who have achieved full
spiritual liberation. This final stage
is beyond the reach of lay Jains.
Forms of devotion
Jains may worship in a temple
or at a domestic shrine at home.
Jain temples are seen as replicas
of the celestial assembly halls where
the liberated tirthankaras continue
their teaching. The adoration and
contemplation of images of these
tirthankaras is thought to bring
about inner spiritual transformation.
The simplest form of worship, also
found in Hinduism, is called
darshan, and involves making
eye contact with the image of a
tirthankara, often while reciting a
sacred mantra. The fundamental
prayer of Jainism is the Navkar,
or Namaskar, Mantra. By reciting
this mantra, namo namahar, the
worshipper honors the souls of
the liberated and gains inspiration
from them in his or her own quest
for enlightenment. ■Only monastic Jains who have
fully embraced a life of austerity and
detachment can hope to ascend the
14 steps to spiritual enlightenment.
I ask pardon of all living
creatures. May all of them
pardon me. May I have a
friendly relationship
with all beings.
Jain prayerMahavira
The religious reformer
Mahavira was born in around
599 BCE in northeast India
as Prince Vardhamana, the
son of King Siddhartha and
Queen Trishala, who is said
to have had many auspicious
dreams during her pregnancy.
According to Jain tradition,
Mahavira was placed in
the queen’s womb by Indra,
the king of the Vedic gods.
Mahavira was allegedly so
dedicated to nonviolence
that he did not not kick in
his mother’s womb, in case
he caused her pain.
At the age of 30, Prince
Vardhamana left the palace to
live as an ascetic, renouncing
material comfort and devoting
himself entirely to meditation.
After 12 years he reached
enlightenment and then
became a great teacher, with
the new name of Mahavira.
Founding a large community
of Jain monks and nuns
(traditionally thought to be
more than 50,000 in total),
he molded Jainism into its
current form. Mahavira died
at the age of 72 at the town
of Pava in Bihar, India, and
is said at this point to have
attained moksha (release from
the cycle of death and rebirth).ANCIENT AND CLASSICAL BELIEFS