Jains celebrate Deepavali as Dipalikaya, Mahanirvan day of Mahavir, and as Festival of Enlightenment and Realisation, writes SUMIT PAUL, relooking at the 24th Tirthankar’s key teachings we need to imbibe today
Everything on earth, whether living or non-living, has a degree of consciousness. Respect that — Mahavir
No festival is confined to a specific religious group. Festivals have a uniquely universal appeal. While we look at Deepavali mostly from the Hindu perspective, it is equally significant to the followers of Jainism. Jains celebrate Deepavali as the Mahanirvan of Mahavir, his attainment of moksha, salvation, in Bihar’s Pavapuri. It is known as Dipalikaya: light leaving the body.
In fact, the Festival of Lights is for them also Festival of Enlightenment. The light is inner Light. As the Jain text, Chulika Sutra, states, Prakasham parchhante dyuti jhavvanam, ‘the external light meets the inner light’. According to Jain Agams, such as the Acharang Sutra, Deepti mastasye parabhootam vigrehat, ‘enlightenment eclipses all darkness’. Interestingly, seven tirthankars and eleven Jain munis in the past 2,600 years got their satori on the night of Deepavali.
Deepavali is also Dinati Ahbodham, Day of Realisation in Prakrit, because on this day, Mahavir’s greatest rival, Indrabhuti Gautam, conceded his defeat in a dialectical discourse with him and embraced Jainism along with his nearly one thousand disciples. This is known as Aadi Deepayan.
According to Jain traditional accounts, coincidentally, Gautam is believed to have gained Kevala Jnana, omniscience, immediately after the moksha of Mahavir. So, the significance of Deepavali is manifold in the context of Jainism.
Now more than ever, we all need Mahavir’s teachings and his eirenic philosophy of non-violence. It is time to realise that we must never injure, abuse, oppress, enslave, insult, torment, torture, or kill any creature or living being. It must be noted that only in Jainism, the idea of non-violence was understood in its totality. Mahavir’s emphasis was not only on Kaayik Ahimsa (from kaaya, shareer) bodily, physical non-violence, he gave utmost importance to Mansik Ahimsa, mental non-violence, as well.
Millenniums ago, Mahavir realised that seeds of violence germinate at the mental level, and then we incubate them on the physical plane. Their manifestations through violent and sanguinary acts like wars, killings, murders, destruction, damage and bloodshed take place later. Mahavir urged us to nip those negative thoughts in the bud. In short, inner and outer revelation of non-violence is a sine qua non for the survival of human civilisation. Can we hold a red-hot iron rod in our hands merely because someone wants us to do so? Then, will it be right on our part to ask others to do the same thing just to satisfy our desires? Do unto others as you would like to be done by. Injury or violence done by you to any life in any form, animal or human, is as harmful as it would be if caused to your own self.
Mahavir’s Anekantvad, Syadvad, also plays a crucial role in diffusing the conflicts and tensions that have engulfed us. If we accept the viewpoints of all as Pluralism suggests, there will be no conflicts and confrontations in the world. We are fighting and sparring just because we erroneously think that our perspective is the Gospel truth with oracular infallibility. This is obstinacy.
Further, Mahavir exhorted, Sammddithhi Saya Amudhe, ‘one whose perception is right, he is ever wise’; Na Ya Vigghiyam Kaham Kahijja, ‘quarrel-provoking speech shouldn’t be used’; and Uvsamen Hane Koham, ‘exterminate anger by peace, because anger begets more anger’.
Mahavir’s greatest contribution to humanity has been his etiological exploration of truth; getting to the root of a problem, issue or phenomenon and curing it. Root out the very cause and the ill-effect will vanish.
Mankind is in need of this kind of rooted remedy. Let us implement Mahavir’s profound teachings for a better world and take a pledge that the inner Light will dispel the looming darkness outside. ■
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