08 Jain Symbols 1

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0 Jain Symbols

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JAI JINENDRA - GREETING

Jai Jinendra literally means, “May the religion


established by the Jina prevail in our hearts”. As we
greet others we say, “Jai Jinendra” because we see an
image of a Jina, destroyer of all inner enemies, in them.
Recognizing this, we bow down with respect to their
Soul. Every Soul is capable of becoming a Jina, the
destroyer of inner enemies; anger, greed, ego, and
deceit. Jina is also known as Arihanta or Tirthankar. We
consider them as Jain Gods.

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JINÄLAYA - JAIN TEMPLE
(Deräsar or Mandir)

A Jinälaya, Deräsar, or Mandir is a


place of worship where a person experiences
immense peace and serenity.
The images of Tirthankars and the
temple’s environment promote introspection and
bring home the feeling that God resides within
one’s own heart. Therefore, each person can
follow a path of purification of the inner self
devoid of anger, greed, ego, deceit, and
attachment from their lives.

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OM
Om means completeness. It is a
symbolic word meaning infinite, the perfect,
and the eternal. The very sound is complete,
representing the wholeness of all things.
Upon attaining absolute knowledge or
omniscience, the body of the Arihanta
emanates Om (called the Divine Sound -
Divya Dhwani). It is an involuntary,
spontaneous, and melodious sound that all
humans, animals, and heavenly beings can
understand as a sermon, in their own
language.
Om sounds like Aum, which is the
seat of the five benedictions (salutations of
supreme beings) and is made up of five
sounds and letters: a, a, ä, u, and m:
• The first letter “a” represents Arihanta (a human being who has
realized the true nature of the soul and reality and has conquered
passions).
• The second “a” represents Ashariri (Siddha, a liberated soul who does
not have a physical body)
• The third letter “ä” represents Ächärya (an ascetic who is head of the
Jain congregation).
• The fourth letter “u” represents Upädhyäy (an ascetic teacher).
• The fifth letter “m” represents Muni (Sädhus or Sädhvis who
practice Jain principles).
The Om represents a salutation to the five revered personalities in the Jain
religion. Om is a shortened form of the Namokär Mantra.

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HRIM

The word Hrim is a seed mantra. It is called


Hrimkär mantra.
It is a mystical symbol representing the invisible
sound, infinity, and divine energy of the 24 Tirthankars.
While meditating on Hrim, one can experience the
sublimating energy of Tirthankars.

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ARHUM

The word ARHUM is a mantra


representing all vowel and consonant
sounds used in the Sanskrut alphabet. The
first vowel in the Sanskrut alphabet is “a” and
the last consonant is “h.” Therefore, while
meditating on this mantra, one focuses on the
silent sound of the universe.

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SWASTIKA

The Swastika is considered an auspicious and a pious


symbol. The red arms of the swastika represent the four
possible states (gatis) of rebirth: human, heaven, hell, and
animal. These four states are represented clockwise starting
from the upper left corner on the Swastika. Our aim should
be liberation from these four states of rebirth.
The three green dots above the swastika represent the three
jewels of Jainism – Samyak Darshan, Samyak Jnän and Samyak
Chäritra. This represents the Jain path of liberation.

At the very top there is a small yellow crescent called


Siddhashilä, a place for liberated souls. The yellow dot above
the crescent represents a Siddha or a liberated soul. In
order to achieve this stage, a soul must destroy all attached
karmas. Every living being should strive for this state of
Liberation or Moksha.

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UNIVERSAL JAIN SYMBOL

This universal Jain symbol is a combination of various symbols, each


having a deeper meaning. It was adopted during the 2500 Nirvana celebration
of Lord Mahävir.
The outline of the symbol is defined as the Universe or Loka. The
Swastika is explained on the previous page. The raised hand means ‘stop’.
The word in the center of the wheel is “Ahimsä,” meaning non-violence. These
two symbols remind us to stop for a minute and think twice before starting
any activity. This gives us a chance to analyze our activities to be sure that
they will not hurt anyone by thoughts, words and deeds.
The wheel in the hand shows that if we are not careful and ignore these
warnings, then just as the wheel goes around, we will repeatedly go through
the cycle of birth and death. The text underneath the symbol,
“Parasparopagraho Jivänäm” translates to “Living Beings (souls) Render
Service to One Another”.

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FEDERATION OF JAINA LOGO

The Federation of Jain Associations in North America


(JAINA) has adopted this symbol. The Swastika from the
main Jain symbol has been replaced by the Aum or Om
symbol. In the western world, the Swastika is not viewed as
a pious symbol.

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ÄRATI
The Ärati has 5 lamps. The flame is lit on a cotton
wick soaked in oil. The Ärati is waved in a circular motion
in front of a Tirthankar idol at the end of a ritual ceremony
and also at night before the temple closes. The darkness
symbolizes negativity, fear, and ignorance, whereas the light
symbolizes divinity. The light of the Ärati dispels darkness,
signifying the overcoming of negativity through virtue, fear
through courage, and ignorance through knowledge.

The 5 lamps symbolize:


• Panch Parmesthi
- Arihanta, Siddha, Ächärya, Upädhyäy,
Sädhu
• Five types of jnäns or knowledge
- Matijnän, Shrutjnän, Avadhijnän,
Manah Paryäyjnän, Kevaljnän
• Five great vows
- Ahimsä, Non-stealing, Truthfulness,
Celibacy, Non-possesion

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MANGAL DEEVO

Mangal deevo has a single wick lamp that is


lit and waved in a circular motion right after the Ärati.
The flame is lit on a cotton wick soaked in oil.
When the wick is lit, it illuminates the face of the
Jina. In this manner, we wish that it would illuminate
our hearts with truth and compassion.
The single lamp is also a symbol of kevaljnän
(infinite knowledge) and liberated souls.

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