5. School.

Another year has passed by and one more Paryushan have arrived. Sometimes I think, are Paryushan synonymous to the Final exams or are they the beginning of the next step towards the ultimate purpose of life? What about those like me who neither have any purpose of life nor do treat Paryushan as a Final Exam.

Well, on another note, I feel Paryushan days are just like a pre-admission talk sessions where in a bunch of saints and dignitaries feed us with the concepts of religion and the ultimate goal/purpose/lakshya of life. More or less, the focus is on Moksha (Salvation) which is the destination and before that Self-Realization which is the highest milestone achieved in this birth as per Jainism nitty-gritty.

Some like to attend these talks while some don’t. Some do force themselves and attend while some where the external forces work.

I do like to attend the talks (around 30 minutes per session) every year but have I really taken admission in the school? If I say, I have taken admission years back, have I progressed each year? What is the outcome if I just sit back and evaluate my progress in last few years (forget years back) or may be precisely 5 years (since 2003)?

What is the use of settling in the same class every year? Hello!! Am I abiding the same class at least? Or have I deteriorated? Hey, have I deviated?

Who is better off, if the above 3 questions have an affirmative reply?

PS: After reading the above, many will differ saying it’s the best time to charge the battery for the entire year or the real time to seek for forgiveness and more. What happens after 8/10/17/18 days for battery charging. Let me ask myself. What do I do after seeking forgiveness? Again, let me ask myself.

As mentioned in my blog Paryushan (September 2007), Paryusham is 8/10/18-days of religious "CELEBRATION" as per jainism.