Flower: Blue Lotus
Sacred Symbol: Non-Violence (Ahimsa)
Mantra/Prayer: The Namokara (Navkar) Mantra
I bow to the Arihants. I bow to the Siddhas. I bow to the Acharyas.
I bow to the Upadhyayas. I bow to all the Sadhus
In Jainism, the open lotus symbolises enlightenment. Its ability
to emerge pristine from muddy waters mirrors the journey of the soul
that transcends worldly impurities to attain spiritual enlightenment.
Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through a succession of
supreme teachers (tirthankaras), leading to the twenty-fourth, Mahavira,
who lived around 600 BCE.
The Jains portray their founders or supreme spiritual leaders
(tirthankaras) as seated or standing on open lotus flowers. Naminatha,
the twenty-first tirthankara is symbolised by the blue lotus.
The three main pillars of Jainism are non-violence
(ahimsa), non-absolutism (anekantavada), and non-attachment
(aparigraha).
The sacred symbol in the middle of the painting is non-violence (ahimsa),
symbolised by the open raised hand. The wheel in the middle of the
palm represents the dharmachakra which stands for the resolve of
each soul to liberate from the cycle of rebirth through an abiding
commitment to truth and non-violence.
This vow of non-violence extends to all living beings, including animals
and insects. Every living being has a right to exist, so all are called to live
in perfect harmony and peace with each other.
The words which surround the painting, written
in devanagari script, is the Namokara (or Navkar) mantra. This is the
most significant mantra in Jainism and one of the oldest mantras in
continuous practice.
It reads: “I bow to the Arihants (perfected human beings). I bow to the
Siddhas (liberated souls). I bow to the Acharyas (masters and heads of
congregation). I bow to the Upadhyayas (spiritual teachers). I bow to all
the Sadhus (spiritual practitioners).”
This mantra serves as a gesture of deep respect towards more
spiritually advanced beings and a reminder to follow their path to attain
liberation.