Practices

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A Jain undergoing Salekhana.
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The festivities of Mahavira Jayanti.
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Jain meditation.
5 Great Vows: 
The main habit that Jains practice is the chanting of the Five Great Vows, or the Mahavratas. These vows are:
  1. Non-violence - Ahimsa
  2. Truth - Satya
  3. Non-stealing - Achaurya or Asteya 
  4. Celibacy/Chastity - Brahmacharya
  5. Non-attachment/Non-possession - Aparigraha
The purpose of these vows are to help one achieve the three Jewels: right belief, right knowledge, and right conduct. By following the 5 Great Vows, one may be considered a good person in the eyes of fellow Jains and higher saints. 

Prayer:
The Nomokar-Mantra is the main form of prayer in the Jainism religion. This prayer worships the virtues of the spiritually supreme so that one might adopt similar characteristics. This prayer gives the individual inspiration for the right path of true happiness and freedom from the misery of life. Jains typically recite this prayer on the daily, if not multiple times per day. 

Worship:
Worship may occur in public stone temples or at wooden shrines at home. Common forms of worship may include chanting mantras or gazing at images of God. Jains do not worship to please Gods or get anything in return, but rather to provide themselves with a form of discipline that helps them concentrate on Jain ideals. 

Meditation:
Meditation in Jainism is known as Samayika. This form of mediation usually focuses on achieving a peaceful state of mind. Typically, Samayika involves chanting mantras. The word Samayika means living in the moment of continuous real time.

Celebrations:
The main event for Jains is called Paryushana. This celebration encourages the strong and devoted practice of Jainism for 8-10 days. It usually consists of fasting, repentance, and Pujas (prayer rituals). It is a time when Jainism vows, expectations, and rules are increasingly strict. 
An additional popular celebration is the holy day of Mahavira Jayanti. This day honors the birthday of Mahavira, an important figure in Jainism. Jains often gather in temples to hear others read the teachings of Mahavira and there are parades through the streets in which people often carry images of Mahavira. 

Rituals: 
A common Jainism ritual is the process of Salekhana. Salekhana is a practice in which a person decides that they have no further obligations in life, and that they have completed life to the fullest extent possible. With the permission of a family member or friend, they then fast until death. This process is believed to be a way for the soul to leave the body by fasting.