Diksha

 Diksha 




Jainism, one of the most ancient religions of this world, comes from the word 'Jinas'. Jinas are individuals who have no enemy, because they have won over themselves. And this pursuit of winning over the self, attaining inner purity is Jain Diksha or Saiyam. From amongst billions of individuals who are running an endless race in the quest of desires, there are few rare souls who question the very purpose of this race. And this question takes them on a journey of discovering the TRUTH, the reality of this universe and the purpose of one's own existence. Jain philosophy explains that there is no special superpower or creator of this Universe. Every soul is the creator of their destiny. And every soul has the potential to attain a perfect state of purity like Parmatma Mahavir.


Diksha is a process of coming out of your comfort zone, to perfect yourself. Perfect actions, perfect emotions, perfect intentions, perfect attitude, perfect balance, perfect determination, perfect endurance and above all, a perfect nature. It is absolute consciousness and carefulness towards one's own quality, to attain equality with Parmatma Mahavir himself.  When an individual realises that 'I too can become Parmatma', he or she begins an extraordinary effort to uplift their own quality. And this journey of self-upliftment is called Diksha.


The process of Diksha in Jainism is a very intricate one and comes after immense selfintrospection. An individual who aspires to take Diksha makes a formal request to the Guru, who first tests his or her potential in various ways. The individual first accepts a sadhak lifestyle, which is a training period.  Diksha is not just a transformation of the dress and address, it is a transformation of one's nature. It is a process of becoming a master of the mind, not its slave.  As sadhaks, they retire from all their wishes and wants, to accept Guru's agna (permission) in everything that they do. Agna is the breath of a sadhak's life. 




As a sadhak, the three pillars of their life are seva, swadhyay and sadhana. Seva is process of broadening one's heart with the qualities of care and compassion, and dissolving one's ego. Swadhyay is a process of imbibing the secrets of truth as propounded by Bhagwan Mahavir in the sacred scriptures known as the Aagams. And Sadhana is a process of disconnecting from past memories and discovering who you really are. 


The most challenging vidhi of Jain ascetic lifestyle is kesh lunchan. Jain ascetics do not shave their heads after diksha, instead they pluck out every strand of hair. This process takes place twice a year, and is a test of physical and mental endurance of the ascetic. 

 


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