Monday, September 2, 2013

Why do Jains fast?

Why do Jains fast?
Fasts may be done as a penance (Prayschit), especially for Jain Monks (Maharaj Saheb).
In Jainsim, a person’s life is a reflection of his karmas.
Happiness or comforts usually we don’t notice but any distressful situation to extreme calamities,
we always try to find out solutions. Shastras indicate either you suffer through with sambhav or adopt a way of austerity, to cut it short. It can be done before karmas start manifesting. More or less like prevention.
The prevention is undertaken through penance.
The other benefits are
self-control and ahealthier, joyful life.
Fasting also purifies body and mind, and reminds the practitioner of Mahavira’s emphasis on renunciation (Tyag) and asceticism( Saiyam), because Mahavira spent a great deal of time fasting.
It is not sufficient for a Jain simply to not eat when fasting.
They must also stop wanting to eat. If they continue to desire food the fast is pointless.
What do you mean by Tivihar Upvas?
In Upvas, Don’t eat or drink anything except achet ( boiled /dhovan) water. Achet  water can be drunk from Porsi to sunset Only. By doing Upvas, a person can shed karmas equivalent to 1000 billion years of hell life – i.e. karma nirjara.
What do you mean by Chauvihar Upvas?
Chauvihar or Chouvihar Upvas means you do not drink or eat anything, not even boiled /dovan water.
What is Navkarsi ?
Don’t eat or drink anything untill 48 minutes after the sunrise, then sit at one place , recite Navkar 3 times and then take food or water.
By doing navkarsi one day, a person can shed karmas equivalent to 100 years of torture in hell – i.e. karma nirjara.
What is Pachkan?
Pachkan is basically an oath. It means you have committed to something be it fast or not eating after sunset.
What is Porsi?
Don’t eat or drink anything untill One Prahar time after the sunrise, then sit at one place ,recite Navkar 3 times and then take food or water.
By doing Porsi one day, a person can shed karmas equivalent to 1,000 years of hell life – i.e. karma nirjara.
What is Prahar?
Take total daytime(i.e. If sunrise is at 6:45 am and sunset is at 7:15 pm then whole daytime is 12:30 hours), divide it by four then it will give one prahar time. One Prahar = Total daytime/4 i.e. if daytime is 12 hours and 30 minutes then One Prahar = (12:30)/4 = 3:07:30 (3 Hours 7 Minutes 30 Seconds)
What is Sadhporsi / dodhporsi ?
Don’t eat or drink anything untill 1.5 Prahar time after the sunrise, then sit at one place recite Navkar 3 times and then take food or water. By doing sadhporsi one day, a person can shed karmas equivalent to 10,000 years of hell life – i.e. karma nirjara.
What is Purimaddha (two porsi)?
Don’t eat or drink anything untill Two Prahars time after the sunrise, then sit at one place ,recite Navkar 3 times and then take food or water. By doing two  Porsi one day, a person can shed karmas equivalent to 100,000 years of hell life – i.e. karma nirjara.
What is Ayambil?
In Ayambil, Eat only once in a day, Don’t eat any Vigai-Fruits-Vegetables, sitting at one place within less than 48 minutes. Other than that dont eat or drink anything except Boiled or dhovan water can be drunk up to sunset Only. By doing Ayambil, a person can shed karmas equivalent to 100 billion years (1000 crore years) of hell life – i.e. karma nirjara. Navpad Ni Oli means doing 9 Ayambils during Ashwin or Chaitri.
What is Ekasanu?
In Ekasan, Eat only once in a day, sitting at one place within less than 48 minutes. Other than that dont eat or drink anything except boiled or dhovan (achet) water.
Boiled or achet water cab be drunk up to sunset Only.
By doing Ekashan, a person can shed karmas equivalent to 1 million years (10 Lac) of hell life – i.e. karma nirjara.
What is Chauvihar?
In Chauvihar, one does not take any food or any liquids after the sunset until the sunrise next day or for particular period.
What is Tivihar?
In Tivihar one does not take food of any kind including liquids except achet water after the sunset until the sunrise of next day but can take water.

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