Answer

In Jain Dharma, Samayik is the practice of becoming calm, equanimous, and spiritually focused for a fixed period, traditionally about 48 minutes. During Samayik, one tries to give up worldly thoughts, attachments, anger, pride, deceit, greed, and harmful activities.

How to Take Samayik

• Choose a clean and quiet place where you can sit peacefully.
• Wear clean clothes. Many people wear simple white clothes during Samayik.
• Sit in a stable posture, such as Padmasan, Sukhasan, or another respectful seated posture.
• Calm your mind and make a sincere intention to remain in equanimity.
• Recite the proper Samayik sutras according to your Jain tradition and guidance from your Guru or elders.
• Practice forgiveness and awareness. Avoid anger, gossip, worldly discussions, and harmful thoughts.
• Engage in spiritual activities such as:
  • Navkar Mantra
  • Pratikraman sutras
  • Stavan or Stuti
  • Reflection on the soul
  • Meditation on equanimity
• Complete the Samayik properly with the concluding sutras as taught in your tradition.

Meaning of Samayik

Samayik means to remain in samata, or equanimity. For the duration of Samayik, a shravak or shravika tries to live like a sadhu or sadhvi in thought, speech, and action.

Important Guidance

The exact method and sutras may differ among Shvetambar, Digambar, Sthanakvasi, Terapanthi, and other Jain traditions. Therefore, it is best to learn the exact vidhi from your Guru, Upadhyay, Pathshala teacher, or knowledgeable elder in your tradition.

Spiritual Understanding

Samayik helps reduce attachment and aversion. It trains the mind to remain peaceful in happiness and sorrow, praise and insult, gain and loss. This is very important in Jain Dharma because equanimity is a step toward purification of the soul.

Takeaway

Samayik is not only a ritual; it is a practice of becoming calm, pure, forgiving, and soul-focused. The most important thing is to do it with sincerity, awareness, and devotion.