Fasting is very common among Jains and as a part of festivals. Most Jains fast at special times such as birthdays, anniversaries, during festivals, and on holy days. Paryushan is the most prominent festival, lasting eight days in Svetambara Jain tradition and ten days in Digambar Jain tradition during the monsoon. The monsoon is a time for Jains to observe most of the religious procedures. However, a Jain may fast at any time. Jain saints usually perform fasts every now and then but at times it becomes a compulsion for them when they have committed an error in relation to the preachings of Mahavira. Variations in fasts encourage Jains to do whatever they can to maintain whatever self control is possible for the individual. According to Jain texts, abstaining from the pleasures of the five senses such as sounds and dwelling in the self in deep concentration is fasting (upavāsa).[1]
Fasting can be done to purify both the body and the soul but fasts are also done as a penance.[2]
Proşadhopavāsa
The word Proşadha refers to the holy days in the lunar month. It means giving up the four kinds of food. Proşadhopavāsa is fasting on the eighth and fourteenth days of the lunar cycle. According to Jain text, Puruşārthasiddhyupāya:
For the sake of strengthening the performance of daily meditation (sāmāyika), one must undertake fasting twice each lunar fortnight (Proşadhopavāsa).
Free from all routine activities, and giving up attachment to own body etc., one should commence fasting from mid-day prior to the day of fasting (the eighth and the fourteenth day of each lunar fortnight).
The person fasting discards bodily adornments such as bath, perfume, garlands, and ornaments, and spends their time in a sacred place such as the abode of a saint or a temple, or somewhere on their own contemplating pure thoughts by listening to scripture.[4]
Chauvihar Upvas: Any type of food and water is restricted in this fast, starting from previous sunset to 3rd day sunrise. This upvas is considered toughest.
Tivihar Upvas:[7] To give up only food for the whole day, starting from previous sunset to 3rd day sunrise and so approximately 36 hours. Only boiled water can be consumed in Tivihar Upvas from 48 minutes after sunrise till sunset on the 2nd day only.
Aayambil: To have just one meal in the entire day (typically, lunch) and boiled water. This meal cannot include the following foodstuffs:
Any forms of spices like chilly powder, turmeric powder, dhaniya jeera powder, cumin seeds, sugar and foodstuffs like oil, ghee and honey.
Any form of dairy products like milk, curd, cheese, paneer.
Any forms of direct or processed dryfruits, fruits or vegetables.
Any form of beverages like tea or coffee.
You cannot have anything that tastes sweet, sour, or spicy. Only basic food is permitted which includes foodstuffs made from primary grains and pulses like wheat, rice, green gram, chickpea, urad dal etc. You can have food prepared using the flours of these grains and pulses - wheat flour, rice flour, gram flour (besan). The allowed spices include salt, black pepper, asafoetida powder, baking soda. You can have chapatis, rice, idli and dosa if made without oil, ghee, butter or any of the ingredients listed above. This fast is considered to be tougher than staying hungry (upvas) because you need to accept (almost) tasteless food to complete this fast.
Chauvihar: No food or water after sunset until at least Navkarsi next day. Many Jains practise this daily. Many Jains leave food or water before forty-eight minutes of sunset.
Tivihar: No food after sunset until at least Navkarsi next day. Water is permitted until midnight.
Duvihar: No food after sunset until at least Navkarsi next day. Water, milk, and medicine are permitted. People who are ill usually practice this.
Partial fasting (unodar): Eating less than you desire and to simply avoid hunger.
Vruti Sankshep: Limiting the number of items eaten.
Rasa Parityag: Giving up favourite foods.
Aathai: No food for constant 8 days, only boiled water.
Navai: No food for constant 9 days, only boiled water.
Solbhathu: No food for constant 16 days, only boiled water.
Great fasts are fasts for months at a time.[2] Maaskshaman: To give up food and water or only food continuously for a whole month.
Varshitap is Upwas, fasting for 36 hours, on alternate days for 13 lunar months and 13 days continuously. In Varshitap a person eats on alternate days between sunrise and sunset only. A person can not eat on any two consecutive days for the period of fast but can fast on two consecutive days.
Sallekhanā is the last vow prescribed by the Jain ethical code of conduct. The vow of sallekhanā is observed by the Jain ascetics and lay votaries at the end of their life by gradually reducing the intake of food and liquids.[9][10][2] This practice has been subject to ongoing debate by human rights experts.[2]
^Jinendra, Jai. "Importance of Fasting during Paryushan." Jain Square. N.p., n.d. Web.
^"JAIN RITUALS AND CEREMONIES - Harvard University pluralsm/affiliates/jainism/workshop... · PDF fileJAIN RITUALS AND CEREMONIES Introduction ... • Rayia Every Morning • Devasik". pdfslide.net. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
Jain, Prof. S.A. (1992) [First edition 1960], Reality (English Translation of Srimat Pujyapadacharya's Sarvarthasiddhi) (Second ed.), Jwalamalini Trust, This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
Jain, Vijay K. (2012), Acharya Amritchandra's Purushartha Siddhyupaya: Realization of the Pure Self, With Hindi and English Translation, Vikalp Printers, ISBN978-81-903639-4-5, This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
Tukol, Justice T. K. (1976), Sallekhanā is Not Suicide (1st ed.), Ahmedabad: L.D. Institute of Indology, This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
fasting, jainism, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, jstor, november,. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Fasting in Jainism news newspapers books scholar JSTOR November 2006 Learn how and when to remove this template message Fasting is very common among Jains and as a part of festivals Most Jains fast at special times such as birthdays anniversaries during festivals and on holy days Paryushan is the most prominent festival lasting eight days in Svetambara Jain tradition and ten days in Digambar Jain tradition during the monsoon The monsoon is a time for Jains to observe most of the religious procedures However a Jain may fast at any time Jain saints usually perform fasts every now and then but at times it becomes a compulsion for them when they have committed an error in relation to the preachings of Mahavira Variations in fasts encourage Jains to do whatever they can to maintain whatever self control is possible for the individual According to Jain texts abstaining from the pleasures of the five senses such as sounds and dwelling in the self in deep concentration is fasting upavasa 1 Contents 1 Aims for fasting 2 Prosadhopavasa 3 Types of fasting 3 1 Sallekhana 4 See also 5 Notes 6 References 7 See alsoAims for fasting EditFasting can be done to purify both the body and the soul but fasts are also done as a penance 2 Prosadhopavasa EditThe word Prosadha refers to the holy days in the lunar month It means giving up the four kinds of food Prosadhopavasa is fasting on the eighth and fourteenth days of the lunar cycle According to Jain text Purusarthasiddhyupaya For the sake of strengthening the performance of daily meditation samayika one must undertake fasting twice each lunar fortnight Prosadhopavasa Purusarthasiddhyupaya 151 3 Free from all routine activities and giving up attachment to own body etc one should commence fasting from mid day prior to the day of fasting the eighth and the fourteenth day of each lunar fortnight Purusarthasiddhyupaya 152 3 The person fasting discards bodily adornments such as bath perfume garlands and ornaments and spends their time in a sacred place such as the abode of a saint or a temple or somewhere on their own contemplating pure thoughts by listening to scripture 4 Types of fasting EditThere are several types of fasts 5 6 Chauvihar Upvas Any type of food and water is restricted in this fast starting from previous sunset to 3rd day sunrise This upvas is considered toughest Tivihar Upvas 7 To give up only food for the whole day starting from previous sunset to 3rd day sunrise and so approximately 36 hours Only boiled water can be consumed in Tivihar Upvas from 48 minutes after sunrise till sunset on the 2nd day only Aayambil To have just one meal in the entire day typically lunch and boiled water This meal cannot include the following foodstuffs Any forms of spices like chilly powder turmeric powder dhaniya jeera powder cumin seeds sugar and foodstuffs like oil ghee and honey Any form of dairy products like milk curd cheese paneer Any forms of direct or processed dryfruits fruits or vegetables Any form of beverages like tea or coffee You cannot have anything that tastes sweet sour or spicy Only basic food is permitted which includes foodstuffs made from primary grains and pulses like wheat rice green gram chickpea urad dal etc You can have food prepared using the flours of these grains and pulses wheat flour rice flour gram flour besan The allowed spices include salt black pepper asafoetida powder baking soda You can have chapatis rice idli and dosa if made without oil ghee butter or any of the ingredients listed above This fast is considered to be tougher than staying hungry upvas because you need to accept almost tasteless food to complete this fast Ekasana Having only one meal per day 8 Biyasana Having two meals a day Chauvihar No food or water after sunset until at least Navkarsi next day Many Jains practise this daily Many Jains leave food or water before forty eight minutes of sunset Tivihar No food after sunset until at least Navkarsi next day Water is permitted until midnight Duvihar No food after sunset until at least Navkarsi next day Water milk and medicine are permitted People who are ill usually practice this Partial fasting unodar Eating less than you desire and to simply avoid hunger Vruti Sankshep Limiting the number of items eaten Rasa Parityag Giving up favourite foods Aathai No food for constant 8 days only boiled water Navai No food for constant 9 days only boiled water Solbhathu No food for constant 16 days only boiled water Great fasts are fasts for months at a time 2 Maaskshaman To give up food and water or only food continuously for a whole month Varshitap is Upwas fasting for 36 hours on alternate days for 13 lunar months and 13 days continuously In Varshitap a person eats on alternate days between sunrise and sunset only A person can not eat on any two consecutive days for the period of fast but can fast on two consecutive days Sallekhana Edit Main article Sallekhana Sallekhana is the last vow prescribed by the Jain ethical code of conduct The vow of sallekhana is observed by the Jain ascetics and lay votaries at the end of their life by gradually reducing the intake of food and liquids 9 10 2 This practice has been subject to ongoing debate by human rights experts 2 See also EditList of dietsNotes Edit S A Jain 1992 p 203 sfn error no target CITEREFS A Jain1992 help a b c d Religions Jainism Fasting BBC 10 September 2009 Retrieved 12 August 2015 a b Jain 2012 p 98 sfn error no target CITEREFJain2012 help S A Jain 1992 p 203 204 sfn error no target CITEREFS A Jain1992 help Archived copy PDF Archived from the original PDF on 19 March 2013 Retrieved 9 December 2012 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint archived copy as title link Jain World Archived from the original on 30 August 2008 Jinendra Jai Importance of Fasting during Paryushan Jain Square N p n d Web JAIN RITUALS AND CEREMONIES Harvard University pluralsm affiliates jainism workshop PDF fileJAIN RITUALS AND CEREMONIES Introduction Rayia Every Morning Devasik pdfslide net Retrieved 15 May 2022 Wiley 2009 p 181 Tukol 1976 p 7 References EditJain Prof S A 1992 First edition 1960 Reality English Translation of Srimat Pujyapadacharya s Sarvarthasiddhi Second ed Jwalamalini Trust This article incorporates text from this source which is in the public domain Jain Vijay K 2012 Acharya Amritchandra s Purushartha Siddhyupaya Realization of the Pure Self With Hindi and English Translation Vikalp Printers ISBN 978 81 903639 4 5 This article incorporates text from this source which is in the public domain Tukol Justice T K 1976 Sallekhana is Not Suicide 1st ed Ahmedabad L D Institute of Indology This article incorporates text from this source which is in the public domain Wiley Kristi L 2009 1949 The A to Z of Jainism vol 38 Scarecrow Press ISBN 978 0 8108 6337 8See also EditJain vegetarianism Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Fasting in Jainism amp oldid 1136125312, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
