Special Ladies Swadhyay: Duty towards our Soul

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Pyaar ki pyaari murat tu,

Pyaar si pyaari sirat tu,

Jitna tuzko pyaar karu main,

Utni hi lubhaati tu.

This melodic hymn was sung by Sheetal Rupani on the occasion of the 102nd Ladies Special Swadhyay. This discourse held at Shantiniketan, Mumbai, also marked the birthday of Brahmnishth Pujya Minalben Shah.

Dressed in pristine white, she is always an enchanting sight to behold. Her charming presence enlivens every occasion. She is flawless in all that she does, be it caring for her ailing mother-in-law or looking after her grandchildren, nothing seems to burden or overwhelm her. She simply smiles through it all. Looking at her perfection and meticulousness, it is tough to fathom her detachment from it all, but a mere glance into her eyes and one can see that she is an absolute and pure observer of it all. Involved yet isolated she knows when and where to draw the line.

The Special Ladies Discourse held on 21st November 2019, was attended by 70 fortunate souls. This special occasion started with an efficacious discourse. On the occasion of her birthday, Minalben took a special ‘Seven Point Sermon’ that highlighted the journey and lifestyle changes, which a spiritual seeker needs to undertake to attain Samyak Darshan.

“Can anyone do our sadhana for us?”, she quizzed. Seeing us nod in the negative, she cited that, every action and every duty on this cosmos can be performed on behalf of us, by someone else. Nobody is indispensable in the worldly realm, but our journey towards the pinnacle of spirituality can only be carried out by us. No one can walk this path for us. We have attained this body only and only to attain Samyak Darshan, she further elaborated. She reiterated that Guru-agna is of prime importance as it is the food for our soul. She then urged each and every one present to perform all their duties, but not to the extent that your body gets famished and one is unable to perform its duty towards one's soul. Planning and prioritising is the key, she stated. Each word said by her reverberated within us, quietened us and drew us inward.

To listen to the entire swadhyay click on the video below:

This awakening discourse was followed by euphonious bhakti. Hymns were sung by Dulariben Boradia, Rupaben Jain, Dr Suhaben Nagda and Sheetal Rupani.

Mamtaben Kothari then spoke a few words about Minal ben. She correlated Minalben to the rarest of rare gems found in the sea and emphatically declared that the disciples of Shree Raj Saubhag Ashram are indeed very fortunate to have her as their guiding angel. This enlightening session was then followed by snacks.

Juggling between multiple roles of this mundane world, women are always struggling to find the gaps that can enable them to achieve their spiritual goals. This religious address highlighted the importance of sadhana, satsang and self love, thereby, accrediting and empowering each and everyone present, to take concrete steps in the direction of their true calling. As we departed, we thanked the divine for blessing the earth with this priceless gift. Her sermon had jolted us from our worldly stupor and had guided us by showing the path to eternal freedom. Feeling elated, we looked forward to many such preachings.

Bhaishree's Birthday Celebrations 2019

Birthday message: overcome obstacles, find your true self

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“Hail the profundity of purpose of the Enlightened One!

His patience and dispassionate equanimity!

Hail! Again and again! Again and again!”

The backdrop to a thoughtfully designed dais said it all. The reverential words, loosely translated above, were inscribed in the centre. Leveraging the high spiritual quotient of this message was a meditative profile picture of Param Pujya Bhaishree on the right. Along with the picture, each word resonated with each one of us, stilled us and took us inward.

There is one special day in the year every spiritual seeker waits most eagerly for. For mumukshus of the Shree Raj Saubhag Satsang Mandal, that day is November 24, Bhaishree’s birthday. It is a day we give thanks to the supreme powers for blessing the Earth with a gift that is rarest of the rare, and most invaluable for its potential to forever free us from the miseries of the world – the birth of our Satguru. Countless births we have craved a Satguru who can shake us out of our worldly stupor and guide us to eternal freedom. Now that we have, after monumental strife and struggle, found him, we look forward to every opportunity to celebrate his presence. His birthday naturally turns into a spiritual fest.

A most awaited welcome

As we reached the Pracharya B N Vaidya Auditorium in Mumbai bright and early, the mood was soft and celebratory as women in cream and red attires and men in pastel shades bustled about quietly, wearing radiant smiles. As Bhaishree entered to the beats of ‘Guru maari same ubha (The Guru is standing before me)’, the auditorium burst into joyous applause. He made his way to the dais led by exuberant dancing by Brahmanisht Minalben and Brahmanisht Vikrambhai. Everyone rose in a wave of devotion, clapping, bowing and tearing up in gratitude.

On the dais, Bhaishree was welcomed with a tilak by Kavit and Suhani and garlanded by a devout follower and sevak, Mahendrabhai and his wife, Sulochanaben. Minalben, also an accomplished bilingual writer, said in onomatopoeic verse that it was Bhaishree’s spiritual fragrance that we follow, and on the spurs of his guidance that we travel to our spiritual destination. Vikrambhai said aptly that it is impossible to repay the debt of a Guru till we achieve his state of bliss!

From among the birthday greetings received from all over the world, he read out Param Pujya Rakeshbhai’s letter. In fine literary expressions, it hailed Bhaishree’s exalted virtues including his inner peace and stillness, the way he lives the exceptional teachings (‘apurva bodh’) demonstrably, his selfless love for all, his dispassionate sermons, and wished him sound health so that many more can forever benefit from his august presence, divine knowledge and compassionate guidance.

After Guru Aarti and stuti, Vikrambhai and Hiren Boradia sang, ‘Hum khushnaseeb hai kitne, Guru ka mila sahara, hum go gaye usike, woh ho gaya hamara.’ O the glory of a Guru who needs nothing from us but becomes ours for our sake so much so that we believe we own him but he knows nobody does! The song mentions how a Guru changes the course of our future lives forever by showing us the way out and getting us out of it.

Speaking for all of us who have experienced the sublime magic of Bhaishree, Vikrambhai said, “When his all-seeing eyes and his enlightened gaze falls on me, I melt my bodily attachment.”

Bhaishree's message on this special day

Swadhyay Video Recording

Bhaishree began his swadhyay on the importance of the unwavering pursuit of knowledge. He cited numerous instances of luminaries who had achieved spectacular success in spite of adverse circumstances. Gopal Krishna Gokhale, whom Mahatma Gandhi regarded as his political guru, was dismissed by all as a hopeless child. However, he was passionate about his studies. He studied under a streetlight and evolved into a tall national leader, inspiring giants like the Mahatma. 

Thomas Carlyle, Freidrich Schiller, Benjamin Franklin, Jagdish Chandra Bose, Gifford and many more stalwarts earned world renown by single-mindedly pursuing their passion for knowledge against seemingly unsurmountable odds.

Once, Munshi Premchand created a bonfire of papers on a wintry night and sat to write. When someone asked him why he was burning paper, Premchand told him he had no possessions left to burn! The brilliant writer was too broke to buy even a blanket for himself but that did not deter him from continuing to write.

Astronomer David Rittenhouse was a poor farmer’s son who was taken up with the sky. While tilling his field, the eyes of this young boy would always be turned skyward as he absorbed the grand view of stars and heavenly bodies. For want of any writing material, he would scribble his calculations and findings on the walls of his modest house. This poor boy grew up to be a phenomenon who was much sought after by leading scholars.

David Rittenhouse

Michael Faraday collected discarded bottles in his younger days and went on to achieve greatness in the field of electromagnetism.  The biggest driving force in all these instances is the determined striving of each of these giants to work towards their goal and their resoluteness to aspire high, undaunted by their physical reality.

Contending that our intellect is God’s finest blessing, Bhaishree remarked that it seems to flourish only in extreme adversity. Stories of these towering personalities inspire us to pursue with patience, persistence and perseverance our true calling even in the most trying circumstances.

Bhaishree said a true seeker is indifferent to the reality of his circumstances - favourable or unfavourable. He stays determinedly centred on his goal. In fact, he emphasized, one has to constantly fight not just one’s circumstances but also oneself to attain extraordinary success in one’s field of interest.

As definitions go, all knowledge, whether of the material world or the spiritual realm, falls under the generic domain of knowledge. However, in its manifest reality, knowledge with self-realisation (samkeet) is Satgnaan (true and pure knowledge) while that without self-realisation is agnaan (ignorance) because it is derived from incomplete and improper perception. Such knowledge does not free the receiver/knower from the cycle of birth and death, however accomplished he or she may be. It is only spiritual knowledge that has the potential to liberate one from the trappings from the finite world and take him to salvation (moksh).

Spiritual quests cannot and should not be founded on one’s comfort level. One needs to marshal one’s inner strength to hone his strengths, overcome his shortcoming and unflinchingly strive towards the goal of self-realisation with positivity and determination.

Bhaishree said cultivating inner peace enhances and expands one’s knowledge, which is boundless. Indeed, like an itinerant traveler, a spiritual seeker knows there are many peaks to conquer. Taking the analogy further, Bhaishree said the presiding deity of Jains, Bhagwan Mahavir, is the ocean of knowledge and Param Krupaludev Shrimad Rajchandra, with his powerfully evolved self-awareness, is the aspirational peak for a seeker.

In the metaphysical sense, perceiving and comprehending the essential nature of the insentient (‘jad’) world is knowledge. Knowledge is the seamless, comprehensive, unconflicting and unchallengeable appreciation of the "true" reality. This knowledge which leads to the end of the tumultuous whirl of births and deaths and liberates the knower is preciously rare. That is the reason we celebrate November 24. It is the celebration of our eventual release and freedom, of our immense fortune in having received grateful access to a Satguru who points us to Satdharma and Satdev.

Vikrambhai captured the essence of Bhaishree’s swadhyay:  it is only by exposure to fire that gold gets purified.

Swaying to the symphony of devotional notes

After a break, the gathering reassembled to listen to well-known Gujarati singer, Jaydeepbhai Swadiya and his troupe. The next two hours were spent swaying to the symphony of notes stringing devotional and spiritual emotions that stirred and nourished the soul. From a drenched-in-devotion ‘Mane vhalu laage Guruji nu naam, tan man dhan Guru na charnomaa’ to a profoundly philosophical ‘Maati ka bhed nirala, kisko samaj nahi aaya’ that vividly described the material theatre of delusion and deception created of and by the inanimate world, he and Upagnaben smoothly covered the lyrical gamut of spiritual music.

When the troupe began the opening bars of the invigorating ‘Taaraa nayane chhato Bapuji amiras chhaatnna,’ Vikrambhai and Minalben sprang to their feet. Taking their cue, many more poured onto the aisles to sway and dance their heart out. The focus of this spontaneous outpouring of devotion, Bhaishree, watched indulgently as his corps took over every inch of floor space in the auditorium. 

Cake-cutting ceremony   

In the presence of his family and friends, Bhaishree cut two cakes, one for himself and one for Param Pujya Guruma, whose birthday, coincidentally or by divine design, falls on November 25.

Highest honour of the year

The day wound up with the highest honour of the year that is granted to mumukshus on this day – a box of prasad personally handed out to each one of us by Bhaishree with a wide and gentle smile. His outstretched hand was almost a symbol of his tremendous outreach to each one of us, the compassion he exudes and his relentless endeavour 24x7 to deliver us from the morass of worldly attachment onto a planet of spiritual bliss.

Thus blessed, there was just one prayer from all our hearts: May we forever continue to enjoy the untold divinity of Param Pujya Bhaishree’s hand on our heads, comforting, healing, guiding and delivering us for our infinite betterment.

Param Krupaludev Janma Divas Celebration 2019

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Celebrating his virtues

“Even kings and emperors with heaps of wealth and vast dominion cannot compare with an ant filled with the love of God.”

— Guru Nanak

Enlightened Masters through the ages have taken birth to become guiding lights to show others the path to self-realisation.  Without any expectations of praise or adulation, they leave footprints in the sands of time as luminous beacons for any soul desirous of saving self from the endless abyss of births and deaths.

Celebrating the birth of every enlightened Master is the most auspicious occasion in the life of every disciple.

Mumukshus of Shree Raj Saubhag Ashram, Sayla experienced this overflowing love and gratitude while collectively celebrating Param Krupalu Dev Shrimad Rajchandra’s birthday on Kartik Purnima (12 November 2019) in the presence of their own Guru, Param Pujya Bhaishree.  

The auspicious day began with meditation (dhyaan), agna bhakti and Dev Vandan. At 10:30 AM all the mumukshus (seekers of liberation) participated in a ceremonial procession (shobha yatra) in the presence of Bhaishree and all Brahmanishth.  Enthusiastically dancing to the divine melodies, every heart was full of gratitude for Param Krupalu Dev.  

In her initial discourse Brahmanishth Minalben mentioned that our existence would be full of darkness if Shrimadji was not part of our lives.

During Param Satsang, Bhaishree said: “This is a very auspicious day for all Raj Bhakts.  All of us are very fortunate to be walking on the path shown by the most divine soul – Shrimad Rajchandra. He is our inspiration.  Today is also the birth anniversary of other great souls – Kalikal Sarvagna Hemchandra Acharya, Guru Nanakji and founder of Sthanakwasi sect Lonkasha Muni.   

There are over 60 ashrams established in the name of Shrimad Rajchandra all over the country and all of them are celebrating his birth to help us overcome taking an endless number of births.  Shrimadji had other exceptional abilities as well such as a phenomenal memory, powers of astrology, amazing power of perception and dexterity with numbers among others, but he realized that these powers and the accompanying fame, were coming in the way of his spiritual growth.  Without a second thought, Shrimadji gave up all these accomplishments to pursue spiritual heights.

At this crucial junction, Shrimadji met Saubhagbhai and from here began a historic relationship, where Shrimadji would share with Saugbhagbhai his innermost thoughts and all spiritual milestones that he was rapidly crossing.”

Quoting from letter number 162, Bhaishree mentioned that Shrimadji writes of himself having attained Samyag Darshan and was now on the path towards the supreme Kevalgyaan.  Bhaishree said: “In a duration of one and a half – two months, Shrimadji had reached the exalted state of Nirvikalp Samadhi.” 

In spite of having to work in a firm trading in diamonds, Shrimadji’s internal state was like that of a sacrosanct saint.  During all his worldly activities – whether working, walking, talking, eating – Shrimadji remained uninvolved and detached.

Members of Digamber Jain Sangh from Surendranagar were also present during the morning session.  The evening ended with Arti, Mangal Divo, evening Dev Vandan, Atma Siddhi and bhakti.  Though the day came to an end, the immense gratitude felt by each and every soul for Param Krupalu Dev multiplied manifold.

Blessed, blessed, blessed is every soul who walks on Bhagwan Mahavir’s path shown by Shrimad Rajchandra.

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Swadhyay video recording

Param Pujya Bhaishree's morning swadhyay on Krupaludev’s virtue of Udasinta.

Param Pujya Bhaishree's afternoon swadhyay on Param Krupaludev's virtues of Nirvikalpta and Asangta

Celebrating Mumbai’s 100th Ladies Special Swadhyay

“Ladies’ swadhyay gives us the opportunity to watch Minalben closely, almost as a friend. She lovingly explains complex spiritual concepts that stay in my mind, make me change my actions and thus, values start to build.”

— Bhavnaben, Ghatkopar

On September 29, 2019 at Borivali’s Mega Party Hall, under Param Pujya Bhaishree’s tutelage and the presence of Pujya Brahmnishts, and a large audience of mumukshus, the 100th occasion of the Ladies Special Swadhyay was celebrated with great revelry. With diyas in their hands and divine song in the air, mumukshus welcomed Bhaishree with much warmth and joy. Two of our fellow mumukshus, Poornimaben and Chandrikaben, placed tilak on Bhaishree and venerated him with a garland. Ruchitaben and Zeel gave Bhaishree a heartfelt welcome through their graceful dance. Following on, Dulariben and Sheetal’s bhakti drenched one and all in bhaktibhaav.  

“The unimaginable loss of losing my husband and father-in-law, all in a short span of time, emotionally weighed me down. My guru gave me the strength and will to hold on during these testing times. The contribution of the ladies’ swadhyay in my life is immense. It gave me hope and courage. Minalben helped me set a routine in life that enabled me to concentrate on other things. All the time I spent around my husband’s routine was productively shifted to completing daily agnas.”

— Faluben, Borivali

After that, Bhaishree’s swadhyay began on the topic of 'Willpower', in which Bhaishree said, “willpower is a powerful force and a solution to completely transform one’s life.” An unwavering faith in the Soul helps one build willpower. One should internalise the phrase “I am a pure and eternal soul”, and one will receive the benefits of willpower. We are the key to our own salvation and liberation, however we can’t achieve this without strong willpower and regular purusharth. When our body becomes weak, we must not believe we are weak, because true strength lies in the mind and in our willpower. It is only by holding your inner willpower, will faith in the Aatma strengthen.

“These swadhyays are slowly making me eligible and suitable for my ultimate goal and breaking my attachment to this body.”

— Kundanben, Dadar

Bhaishree appreciated Brahmnisht Minalben’s and Brahmnisht Lalitaben’s commitment to having regular monthly swadhyays for almost seven years. Despite having an extremely busy schedule and handling numerous responsibilities in various roles, Brahmnisht Minalben’s effortless happiness and simplicity inspires every mumukshu of the ladies’ swadhyay.

“Through the ladies’ special swadhyay I have been able to know more, understand more and learn more, not only spiritually but also my worldly life. It is like a divine light, an incessant shower of love. I have learnt how to practically apply all our teachings in our daily lives as women.”

— Namrataben, Vile Parle

A group of women from Borivali put together a graceful and thoughtful dance depicting Mira’s devotion to the song “Mira tere namni divani ho gayi”. This was followed by Aishwarya’s  wonderful dance performance and then, the spiritual play, “Jagruti ni Jyot”. Every actor did justice to their character, with effective dialogues and relatable situations, this play definitely touched everyone's hearts. The event ended with Dulariben, Mamtaben and Hansaben showcasing the importance of girl power with examples from swadhyays. 

The event was compered by Rupaben and Nikitaben. As a vote of thanks Rupaben, Nikitaben, Suhaben and Kavitaben presented Bhaishree with a shawl while Hansaben, Ritaben, Mamtaben and Bhavnaben and Kokilaben presented shawls to Brahmnisht Minalben and Brahmnisht Vikrambhai respectively. 

“Bhaishree gave agna to Minalben to come to our house once a month to give swadhyay since my mother-in-law suffers from paralysis. After ten years, as a result, she has become stronger, more accepting and peaceful.”

— Nandaben, Worli

“Nari tu Narayani”

Consecration Ceremony At Brahmnishth Rasikbhai’s Residence, Jetpur

“Consecrating the Lord at home provides a constant reminder of the highest virtues which one wishes to imbibe. It softens the heart, preparing one to pursue everyday activities with inner calm and focus.”

— Param Pujya Bhaishree Nalinbhai Kothari

As soon as Param Pujya Bhaishree announced the auspicious date for the consecration (sthapna) ceremony at Brahmnishth Rasikbhai Patel’s residence, mumukshus Naynaben Mehta, Kirtibhai Boradia and spiritual seekers from Jetpur and Thanghad enthusiastically started preparations. 

On the auspicious day (4th September 2019), a large number of mumukshus (seekers of liberation) gathered in the lane, outside the residence, to give a grand welcome to their Enlightened Mentor, Param Pujya Bhaishree. A red carpet, a beautifully crafted arch, a huge signboard reading ‘Om, padharo Niranjan Nath Om', music, dancing feet and overflowing hearts welcomed their savior into their home and hearts.

The devout sentiments and enthusiasm of Brahmnishth Rasikbhai and the mumukshus was clearly evident in the way they had beautifully decorated both the houses where the sthapna would take place. 

The idol of Bhagwan Parshwanath and Param Krupalu Dev Shrimad Rajchandra, images of Mahavir Swami, Param Pujya Bapuji, Pujya Bhaishree, Shivling, idols of Lord Ganesha and Goddess Saraswati were to be consecrated and installed inside the temple of the two houses. 

As the consecration ceremony began, Brahmnishth Vikrambhai reminded us to focus on the inner virtues and the true identity of Bhagwan and in doing so, instill Him in the innermost realms of our hearts in such a way, that one day, we can have darshan of our own Bhagwan Atma. This orientation and constant reminder to focus inward even when the eyes were transfixed outwardly at  the idol, ensured that everyone remained in a state of awareness (jagruti) throughout the ceremony.

Thereafter, Vikrambhai stirred up the atmosphere with his soulful vocals and spiritually uplifting reverberations. All mumukshus were elated to witness Pujya Bhaishree perform the ceremony. The idols were then given to the host, Rasikbhai and his family, to hold over their heads, as a way of symbolising that the Lord’s words and wishes will be supreme in the life of each and every disciple. Words fall short in describing the overflowing bhakti that came from every heart. 

Brahmnishth Rasikbhai, from Ahmedabad, who was present at the ceremony shared that the divinity on Pujya Bhaishree’s face during the rituals was a sight to behold. 

After the consecration ceremony, everyone proceeded to listen to the inspiring discourse given by Pujya Bhaishree. Explaining the hidden depths from Parshwanath Bhagwan’s stavan, Bhaishree talked about the great importance of having an idol of the Lord to establish a connection with and the role His darshan, puja and bhakti play in the progress of the disciple on the path to Salvation. 

As Brahmnishth Vikrambhai sang each stanza of the stavan, Pujya Bhaishree explained the underlying meaning with great simplicity and insightfulness. He highlighted the significance of focusing on the elevated internal state of Tirthankar Bhagwan while doing darshan.  

Pujya Bhaishree also added that if anyone wishes to observe the true inner state of Bhagwan Parshwanath, then the people of Jetpur just needed to observe the spiritual depths of Brahmnishth Rasikbhai Patel.  Acknowledging the spiritual heights reached by the host Rasikbhai Patel, Pujya Bhaishree said: “All of you are lucky that your family member has reached such an exalted state in these times when it is very difficult to find an Enlightened Soul (Gnani).  This village, this area and all of you who are in contact with him are very lucky that such a Gnani lives in your midst."

“તમે બહુ જ ભાગ્યશાળી છો કે તમારા ઘરે જ્ઞાની છે. આ કાળે જ્ઞાની મળવા દુર્લભ છે. અહીં બેઠા તે પણ ભાગ્યશાળી છે, આવા જ્ઞાનીનો સંગ થયો છે. આ ગામ અને ક્ષેત્ર પણ ભાગ્યશાળી છે, આવા જ્ઞાની અહીં જનમ્યા છે.”

• પરમ પૂજ્ય ભાઈશ્રી 

In this remark, Pujya Bhaishree brought to light the importance of a living (pratyaksh) master (gyaani) on this path.

Such was the impact of Bhaishree’s satsang and his elevated state that most of the people present had a greater understanding about the internal state of an Enlightened Master and Bhagwan.

After lunch, it was time for the Master to depart and the mumukshus present sang a self-composed farewell song that brought tears to every eye.  With grateful hearts and wet eyes, the disciples bade farewell to their Master.  

Kunj, a young mumukshu from USA shares her experience:

“Before reaching Jetpur, I had never actually met Brahmnishth Rasikbhai Patel, but had only heard anecdotes of his advanced spiritual state. However, even in the midst of the processional welcoming for Param Pujya Bhaishree, I immediately spotted Brahmnishth Rasikbhai. He was dancing and celebrating with such immense bhakti bhaav, as if the Lord Himself had just come to his doorstep. I have been to numerous Pratishtha events in the past, but nothing compared to the supreme joy and happiness that was emanating from Brahmnishth Rasikbhai. It made me realise how we should all feel when our Guru comes to our home and even more so, when our Guru comes to consecrate Tirthankar Bhagwan’s idol in our homes.

Seeing the rest of his family and other mumukshus from the town of Jetpur, it was clear that something magical existed here in the presence of Brahmnishth Rasikbhai as he walked on the Moksh marg as shown by Param Pujya Bhaishree.”

Paryushan Parva in Sayla - My experience

This was a unique opportunity to be able to spend the entire Paryushan Parva in Sayla. While Paryushan passes every year, this experience truly resonated with the sentiments and true goals of Paryushan, with daily pratikraman and Kalpasutra readings. However, even in the midst of what often can be considered rituals, Param Pujya Bhaishree made it a point to keep us constantly aware (jagrut). Personally, he advised me to keep the importance of dhyan at the forefront throughout all of the kriya (ritual) and spend as much free time in saadhana. In addition, he used the first 3 days of swadhyay to step by step prepare each and every mumukshu for our true goal – Samyak Darshan (knowing our true self). 

He started by describing the five lakshan of samyaktva, or the five virtues paving the path to self-realisation. These 5 virtues, sham (equanimity), samveg (the desire for only moksh), nirved (no other worldly desires), aastha (unwavering faith), and anukampa (compassion and empathy) are necessary for us to have in order to attain self-realisation. Bhaishree spent an entire swadhyay on each virtue, using stories and conversations between Lord Mahavir and his first disciple Gautam Swami to definitively instill the importance of these virtues. He constantly provided us with techniques to evaluate and measure our own progress as we move forward to truly embody these characteristics. One by one, he prepared us for the upcoming days, to keep our constant focus on these lakshan such that we could move further along this marg, as we adapt them into our practical reality. 

Then, with all these tools in hand, we began the Kalpasutra readings on day four of Paryushan. It was important to understanding that at the end, as we get closer to Kevalgnaan and Moksha, we do eventually have to give up all these worldly pleasures and take diksha (renunciation). And even more so, seeing the stories of four Tirthankars, with the emphasis on Bhagwan Mahavir’s journey to Moksha, caused everyone to constantly reflect on their own journey, where they stood and what is coming. 

The most important message, I felt, was that as living souls, we have all made countless mistakes, just like Lord Mahavira had in the past, but with the true marg and resolve, it is possible to endure all the associated karma and eventually reach salvation. His story gave inspiration, and at the same time, awareness of the mistakes and hurdles we are currently encountering, such that we can continue to push forward on this marg. 

Every evening, as we did pratikraman, we again found ourselves evaluating our own journey and shedding light on the constant cycle of karmas. Each day, with each pratikraman, I felt lighter, as if I was shedding previous wrong-doings and, hopefully, preventing new ones from building as rapidly. However, not until Bhaishree shared the true meaning behind pratikraman, at his very last swadhyay on Samvatsari, did I feel the full effect. He shared that in pratikraman, we are leaving all vibhaav (outward sentiments that are not in the soul’s true nature) and turning to swabhaav (soul's true nature). With this awareness and sentiment, I sat for the Samvatsari pratikraman and it was a completely different experience, with total focus on staying within. 

Kunj Sheth, USA

Paryushan Mahaparva 2019

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Live Paryushan Swadhyays

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Swadhyay 1 - Paryushan 2019

Swadhyay 2 - Paryushan 2019

Swadhyay 3 - Paryushan 2019

Swadhyay 4 - Paryushan 2019

Swadhyay 5 - Paryushan 2019

Swadhyay 6 - Uttaradhyayan Sutra - Adhyayan 29 - Paryushan 2019