Answer

Pratikraman should be done with humility, repentance, awareness, and a sincere desire to improve. Its purpose is to reflect on mistakes, ask forgiveness, renounce harmful actions, and return the soul toward right conduct.

In Jain Dharma, the proper way of doing Pratikraman is not only reciting the words, but doing it with correct bhav — inner feeling.

Basic Proper Method

• Prepare yourself: Sit in a clean place with a calm mind and respectful attitude.
• Have humility: Remember that Pratikraman is for removing carelessness, ego, anger, deceit, greed, and attachment.
• Recall your faults: Reflect on wrong thoughts, words, and actions done knowingly or unknowingly.
• Ask for forgiveness: Mentally seek forgiveness from all living beings whom you may have hurt.
• Do Alochana: Confess and acknowledge your mistakes honestly before the Arihant, Siddha, Guru, and your own soul.
• Do Pratikraman: Turn back from wrong actions and repent sincerely.
• Do Pratyakhyan: Take a resolve not to repeat those mistakes, or to reduce them as much as possible.
• Recite the required sutras properly: Follow the traditional order according to your Jain tradition and guidance from your Guru or knowledgeable person.
• End with forgiveness and peace: Keep the feeling of Micchami Dukkadam — “May my faults be forgiven.”

Important Inner Bhav

• Samayik bhav: Equanimity toward all beings.
• Kshama bhav: Forgiveness toward others and seeking forgiveness from others.
• Vinay bhav: Reverence toward Tirthankars, Siddhas, Acharyas, Upadhyays, and Sadhus.
• Atma-chintan: Looking within and recognizing one’s own faults.
• Sudhar bhav: A genuine wish to improve one’s conduct.

Practical Guidance

If you are learning Pratikraman, it is best to:

• Learn from a knowledgeable Jain teacher, sadhu, sadhvi, or elder.
• Understand the meaning of the sutras, not only memorize them.
• Pronounce the sutras carefully and respectfully.
• Do it regularly, especially during evening, fortnightly, Chaumasi, or Samvatsari Pratikraman according to tradition.

Spiritual Understanding

Pratikraman purifies the soul by reducing the burden of karma caused by carelessness, violence, falsehood, anger, pride, deceit, greed, and attachment. It helps a person move from pramad — spiritual negligence — toward apramad — spiritual alertness.

Takeaway

The proper way to do Pratikraman is with right recitation, right understanding, sincere repentance, forgiveness, and a firm resolve to improve. The outer ritual is important, but the inner transformation is the true heart of Pratikraman.