Articles & Blog
35 articles
Meru Trayodashi and the Liberation of Adinatha
This winter observance commemorates the final liberation of Rishabhanatha, the first Tirthankara, atop Mount Ashtapada.
Ananta Chaturdashi and the Fourteen-Knot Vow
Falling within the Das Lakshana festival, Ananta Chaturdashi is a day of fasting and worship devoted to the endless qualities of the liberat...
Sallekhana: The Solemn Vow of Peaceful Departure
Sallekhana is the revered practice of embracing death through gradual withdrawal from food when the body can no longer serve the spiritual p...
Ahara Dana: The Offering of Food to Ascetics
The alms-giving by which laypeople offer pure food to wandering monks and nuns is among the most cherished acts of merit in Jain life.
Palitana and the Ninety-Nine Yatra
The temple hills of Palitana draw pilgrims to one of Jainism's holiest sites, and the devout undertake the arduous ninety-nine-fold pilgrima...
Pavapuri and the Water Temple of Liberation
At Pavapuri, where Mahavira attained nirvana, the Jal Mandir rises from a lotus-filled tank as one of Jainism's most revered pilgrimage site...
The Navkar Mantra: The Great Recitation
The Navkar Mantra, homage to the five supreme beings, is the most fundamental prayer of Jainism, recited daily and in great communal gatheri...
Ahimsa Day and the Message of Non-Violence
Jain communities champion non-violence through awareness campaigns and observances that carry the principle of ahimsa beyond the temple into...
The JAINA Convention in North America
Every two years Jains across North America gather in a major convention that sustains community, learning and tradition far from the ancestr...
The Kalpa Sutra and the Reading of Paryushana
During Paryushana the Svetambara community gathers to hear the Kalpa Sutra, the revered scripture recounting the lives of the Tirthankaras.
Sugandha Dashami: The Fragrance of Devotion
On this day within the Das Lakshana season, devotees offer fragrant incense before the Tirthankaras, symbolising the sweet fragrance of virt...