पर्युषण : प्रेम और सहअस्तित्व का प्रशिक्षण

Summary

The text discusses Paryushan, an eight-day Jain festival, as a training ground for non-violence, love, and coexistence. It argues that such spiritual festivals should be celebrated globally to establish values like non-violence and compassion, envisioning a peaceful world. A superior society and nation are built on citizens possessing truthfulness, honesty, brotherhood, simplicity, and self-control. Paryushan provides collective practice for developing these qualities. The text criticizes modern society for forgetting a culture of vows and embracing a culture of bombs, where violence, terror, and hatred have disfigured humanity. Consumerism and a convenience-oriented mindset have made people cruel, leading to environmental imbalance through the exploitation of natural resources. Paryushan counters this by promoting awareness of the environment and balance. The festival is described as a spiritual session for returning to one's true self, moving away from external attachments. Over eight days, practitioners engage in fasting, dietary restraint, silence, study, meditation, and developing friendship. The final day, Samvatsari, is the core of Paryushan, dedicated to introspection, reviewing the year's shortcomings, and seeking forgiveness through the practice of *khamatkhamana*—a mutual exchange of forgiveness to resolve conflicts and purify relationships. This process is presented as a form of spiritual therapy for mental, physical, and emotional ailments. The text concludes that Paryushan is not merely a tradition but a comprehensive life philosophy and a workshop for living an elevated, disciplined, and non-violent life, deserving national and universal recognition.