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International Jain Conference on Forgiveness By Dilip V. Shah
by JainDigest
Dilip V Shah of Philadelphia is the past president of JAINA. He is currently serving as chairman of JAINA’s Overseas Relations Committee and a member of the Academic Liaison Committee. In addition to being an advisor for Jain Digest, he is also publisher and General Editor of Jain Avenue magazine – a publication of JAINA India Foundation.
JAINA will organize the second International Jain Conference in Ahmadabad in January 2023. The first International Jain Conference organized by JAINA in 2020 was well received and was attended by over 400 attendees. Due to the Covid pandemic, in 2021 and 2022 the Second International Jain Conference did not take place. The 2023 conference will be a threeday conference and the theme of the conference will be Forgiveness. National and international scholars will be invited to discuss various aspects of forgiveness.
All Jains, firmly believe in Forgiveness or . Svetambars consider the last day of Paryushan –Samvatsari – as a Kshamapana day. Samvatsari Pratikraman is considered so important that even less observing Jains look forward to participating in Samvatsari Pratikraman. Digambars celebrate Kshamapna on the first day of Das Lakshana – Uttam Kshama. It is inscribed in Tatvartha Sutra, chapter nine, sixth stanza. For Jains, Kshamapana is the essence of being a Jain. You might wonder about a three day discussion on Kshamapna.
This article explains why JAINA is proposing a threeday conference. Let us start by understanding the depth and breadth of the concept of forgiveness in Jain literature, history and in our daily religious practices.
There is plenty of Jain literature on . Uttarādhyana Sutra (29:17-18) states:
“By practicing prāyašcitta, the soul gets rid of sins, and commits no transgressions; he who correctly practices prāyašcitta gains the path and the reward of the path, he wins the reward of good conduct. By begging for forgiveness, he obtains happiness of mind; thereby he acquires a kind disposition towards all kinds of living beings, by this kind of disposition he obtains purity of character and freedom from fear.”
In our daily prayers and Samayika or Pratikraman, we recite the Iryavahi sutra seeking forgiveness from all while involved in routine activities. Jain teachings categorize Kshama into five categories which shows us how to contemplate about anger in various ways.
1) UPKAR Kshama – When someone like a parent or teacher get angry at us we have to realize that they are doing so for our own good. They don’t mean to do any harm to us and hence we need to forgive them with a feeling of gratitude. That is Upkar Kshama.
2) APKAR Kshama – “If I get angry at this person, he/she will retaliate with anger which will then cause me more harm”; such contemplation is Apkar Kshama.
3) VIPAK Kshama – When we contemplate upon the harmful effects of anger - physical, mental, and emotional – and then decide to forgive others, that is Vipak Kshama.
4) VACHAN Kshama – Forgiving others by contemplating upon the teachings of Tirthankars (Jinvachan) that we need to develop the virtue of forgiveness, is Vachan Kshama.
5) DHARMA Kshama – Forgiving others by remembering that forgiveness is an intrinsic virtue of the soul, is Dharma Kshama.
Forgiveness is also described as the adoration of the brave. (Kshama Virasya Bhushanam). One of the reasons the 24th Tirthankara Vardhman is called “Mahavir” is not because he was victorious in battles, but he forgave those who transgressed towards him. He was an embodiment of Kshamapana.
A famous Gujarati poem some of us might have read in primary school describes repentance as a stream from heaven that has landed on the earth wherein sinners can bathe and attain punya!
Forgiveness is considered such an important virtue in Jain religion that the editorial team of Jain Digest wanted to publish a special issue using that as a theme. However, in their research they realized that it is an important concept in all the major religions of the world. Most world religions include teachings on the nature of forgiveness, and many of these teachings provide an underlying basis for many varying modern day traditions and practices of forgiveness. The customs, rituals, and beliefs are different, but intention is same; live and let live, forgive everyone, and live a soulful and peaceful life. In most religions, the practice of forgiveness is observed and emphasized during religious festivals.
This issue of Jain Digest published December 2016 is titled as “Forgiveness – A Virtue Every Religion Celebrates.” It contains articles on Forgiveness of Bhagwan Mahavir, highlights the power of forgiveness, enumerates forgiveness festivals in various religions, explores challenges with practicing forgiveness, and other attributes of forgiveness.
Of late, many Western and European philosophers, academicians, and psychologists are discussing forgiveness as a desirable quality. They present forgiveness as a cure for physical or emotional health. They preach that we can be free of resentment by letting go. Physicians are labeling chronic anger as a cause of high blood pressure. Psychologists advocating forgiveness reassure their patients that forgiveness doesn’t mean reconciliation or returning to the same relationship. A lot of emphases are put on Self forgiving. And some professionals talk about unforgivable sins. There are seminars on forgiveness and many books are published on the subject. Hollywood has presented a movie named “Forgiveness” . There is a charity named “The Forgiveness Project” with regularly scheduled podcasts. There are organizations and projects championing the virtues of forgiveness.
But it is surprising that in all their discussions and presentations, Jainism is not even mentioned. Perhaps this is because many scholars either have not heard much about Jainism or because they associate Jainism only with non-violence and following vegetarian diet. The Jain principles of Anekantvad, Non-possessiveness, Jain practices of meditation, Jain views on Ecology, and Forgiveness have not reached the western world. Our hope is that with the annual international conferences with the western scholars, we can make them aware of the wealth of wisdom in Jainism.
As stated above, forgiveness is important in all religions. However, when it comes to asking for forgiveness most western religions focus on asking for forgiveness from God. And as far as living beings are concerned, saying “I am sorry” seems to be limited to other human beings. But Jainism goes further and asks for forgiveness from “all living beings”, including the smallest insects! This is evident in the prayer many Jains say on a daily basis.
This prayer affirms our commitment to forgive all living beings and seek forgiveness from all living beings. We call it “Kshamayachana” . In seeking forgiveness, we undertake introspection, and we humble ourselves. Admitting our mistake implies that we will not repeat it which is essential for spiritual progress.
Holding an international conference on Forgiveness will help us reach out to the western audience . This will hopefully enrich the discussion on forgiveness. A deeper understanding of Jain views may lead to a more peaceful world. If you are planning a trip to India in January of 2023, please consider attending the international conference. Details of the venue and exact dates will be announced soon. Registration will be required but it will be free.
