'SANGH" Communion :

A person born in a Jain family is "Jain by birth only". Technically and spiritually he is not in the "Sangh" as ordained in scriptures. The Sangh (communion) consists of four (I) Sadhu (Holy monks) (II) Sadhvi (Holy nuns) who sincerely believe in "Bhava-Nirved" -to be free from the materialistic worldly wanderings of continuous births and deaths."Samvega" ardent desire to attain "Moksha" - final liberation. To achieve that above they have accepted "Sarvavirrti" complete renunciation- Monkhood (The 6th and 7th stage of spiritual development) and (III) Shravak-layman and (IV) Shravika-laywoman who takes twelve minor vows (Partial self discipline)and worthy conduct (5th stage and aim to reach the 6th & 7th stage (Renunciation).

Persons of lower stage should be a "Samkiti" (The 4th stage) who has"Right/ True Faith in True Deity, True Guru - Preceptor and True Religion (as propounded by Omniscient Teacher) and keen desire to achieve the 5th, 6th and 7th stage during his life-time are also included.

35 Rules of Conduct ( Marganusari):

These rules are relating to social life because all living beings are social . The practice of the following rules prevents us from falling spiritually lower and helps us to rise higher, it is the means to get ourselves from the 1st stage of development to the fourth. (2nd and 3rd are of momentary duration).

The rules are all based upon love, sympathy, fellow feeling , pity, etc. and the practice of them is to be accompanied by these feelings, otherwise it is mere hypocrisy. (They are ideas, convictions and conducts of those who practise them). These rules are not commands. The Jain Deity issues no commands. They are state of knowledge and mode of behaviour. From the sincere practice comes out the purity of soul. The dirt and foreign matter in combination with the Soul is removed. It is the first step for a person desiring to make some spiritual progress. They are for the beginners, and not for those who are spiritually advanced.

Rules of Conduct : A few in brief :

1) In trade and business he earns his livelihood by just and honesty. No ignoble nature such as butcher, gunmaker etc.

2) Follows excellence of conduct, appreciates oing of the wise and spiritually experienced persons.

3) If one has to marry- marriage partner should be with culture taste, character, status, etc. of the same kind and marries his sons and daughters to well-born well behaved folks.

4) He is known to afraid of committing sins, avoids sinful pastimes, gambling, lustful eyeing towards opposite sex, alcoholic-drinks, meat-eating, etc.

5) Should practise ideal civic behaviour, well established family customs and religious rituals, would never malign, slander or libel.

6) He lives in neither too secluded nor too open a residence. It must be situated in a good locality and have good neighbours. The house must not have many entrances.

7) He, always associates with good people, who are partial to virtues, spiritually advanced and abandons place of evil reputation.

8) Worships his parents, has reverence for preceptors, teachers, is respectful to elders and old, pays obeissance to deity.

9) Regulates his expenditure according to his income, dresses according to his position and hears religious discourses everyday, Divides his income in 4 parts (1) For investment (2) For trade (3) For household expenditure and (4) For charity.

10) He is grateful for what is done for him, he is loved by people, he is modest, merciful, of serne disposition and benevolent. He eats at fixed time, when indigestion, he does not eat. He is free from obstinacy and has partiality for good cause.

Twelve Bhavana - Mental Reflections

1) "Anitya" = Impermanence - transitory nature of things. There is impermanence of everything surrounding one. There is only immortal soul beneath the changing body, life-span is getting reduced daaily. Shall have to go leaving everything behind. Alone.

2) "Asarana"- Helplessness, thinking of a refuge. Birth is inveitably followed by death, we are helpless in face of death. True Religion is the only protection, it gives a serene peaceful death, which is a great achievement.

3) "Samsara" = Ocean of illusion, worldly life. Continuous wandering under different garbs in various Kingdoms, in different bodies from 'Nigoda' to heavenly beings and back to microbe, to animal and vegetation etc. Liberation is possible from the cycle of birth and rebirth.

4) "Ekatva" = Aloneness. There is absolute solitude of each individual. He is body alone and departs alone. Will experience the Karmic fruits alone, one should achieve dependence only in one-self.

5) "Anyatva" = Beyond Body. The Soul is separate from the even body, even the body is not mine, I have to leave it. The Soul is immortal. We must try to know the power, capacity of the inner-self to attain "Pure-Self".

6) "Asuci" = Impurity. Beautiful, physically most attractive body is only skin-deep, is full of impurities, whatever the discards are unclean.

7) "Asrava" = Karmic Fusion (Inflow). There are five Karmic agents. Perverted views "Mithyatva", Non- restraint "Avirati", carelessness "Pramada", passions "Kasaya",activities "Yoga" of mind, speech and body. With 42 sub-divisions result in fusion of subtle forms of matter. Which are important reasons for cycle of rebirth.

8) "Samavara" =Karmic shield is anti-dote to asrava, stops influx of karman. The insight "Samyagdarsana", renunciation "Virati", carefulness "Apramada", passionless "Akasaya", Self- control "Ayoga", reflections "Bhavana", With 57 sub-divisions which leads to salvation.

9) "Nirjara" = to discard- to separate- liberate, Karmic matter from the Soul leading to eternal salvation through twelve kinds of tapa- penance.

10) "Lokasvarupa" = To reflect about the Universe. Uncreate, eternal, self-existant, imperishaable, six reals, nine elements (Tatva), three divisions, four existence, innumerable kinds of living beings. I have been to all these places, who am I? What is the final resting place? How to attain the same?

11) "Bodhi Durlabha" = Rarity of true insight. True religion, charity, chastity, penance and state of mind (Bhava) intension, forgiveness, contement, truth, compassion, pity etc. leads to "Moksha".

12) "Dharma-Swakhyat" = Truth of jaina religion. Teachings of the "Tirthankara- Arhat", which leads to eternal bliss, through the under-standing of one's own inner-self (Atma).

The Bhavyatma

The soul who has the capability of salvation, only a few whose time is ripe-due (in the last Pudgala Paravarta Kala), initially becomes slightly inclined spiritually, towards religion. With gradual increase in self dedication, faith, clarity, love, fellow-feelings, compassion, reduces wants, controls desires, etc.; results in acquisition of spiritually higher 'Gati' and 'Jati'. He has reverence for life of all living beings, visible or invisible, mobile or immobile, regards every soul equal to his own, treats them with utmost care and sympathy with equanimity (Samvar) and confidence, he knows-who am I ? - A Bhavyatma.

Then he acts on four Bhavanas (feelings)
1) Maitri : Amity to develop a feeling of amity towards all beings.
2) Pramoda : Appreciation, a feeling of appreciation towards the meritorious.
3) Karuna : Compassion, a feeling of compassion towards those in misery.
4) Madhyastha : Equanimity, equanimity in instructing those who have lost the true values and
averse to suggestions.

He visits the temple regularly, before entering, he sheds off all impure, unclean thoughts and thoughts of worldly material life. He enters and with a steady gaze on the Pratima (the Image), which has been anointed by an Acarya (leader of the Jaina Order) with the Eight Fundamental Attributes, which pure soul has achieved, - "The Spiritual Zenith" (Siddhatva). Offers his prayers and rituals and opens his heart, makes a clean breast and with complete surrender asks for forgiveness. With an ardent desire he prays for His grace through the medium of the Pratima, the strength to help to annihilate the Karmic forces and achieved not a heavenly life, which is only a passing phase but the Eternal Salvation and be one equal to him.

Now he has faith in Six initial Tenets :
1) The Self exists.
2) The Self is immortal.
3) The Self is its own doer.
4) The Self experiences the results of his own deeds- good or bad through body.
5) There is path to Moksa.

The soul sallies forth and finds True Religion- Right conduct. The individual with self-control, concentration and more advanced form of mental and moral discipline, develops more and more unimpeded activities of the immortal self (Nirjara). With 'Purusartha' (efforts-endevours) gradually advancing, He

1) Practices equanimity,
2) Fasts on specific religious days.
3) Maintains purity of diet and restriction on varieties.
4) Keeps continence by day.
5) Achieves complete contience.
6) Restricts activities
7) Withdraws from domestic supervisory activities.
8) Finally reaches severence of family-ties, leading towards Complete Renunciation in its totality. When the Karman is entirely anninilated, the state of released Soul of all matter, acquires 'Siddhatva-Godhood: The emancipated liberated soul attain achieves the eternal, indestructible, the all powerful and illuminating state of 'Pure Self, enjoys infinite bliss and self beatitude, the Zenith of 'Spiritual Glory', ascends to the summit, close to the border. The magnificient region ' Isad Pragbhara' ( the fifth gati) where the blessed settle down permanently into all eternity and enjoy incomparable, indestructible, super-natural happiness of salvation with complete equality in rank.