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24. Embodiment of Peace and Love
Mahavira's life is an embodiment of Love and compassion and is itself a lesson in spirituality. He was the conscience of immortal India. or, we may say, he had the actual consciousness of India as well as of the whole world. When he reached the pinnacle of spiritual awakening, he began to preach what he realised. He was a living example of truth and non-violence. To Jain, Bhagavan Mahavira represents the embodiment of truth, rather than a historical hero. Our devotion to him means devotion to truth, love and compassion, for he himself devoted his entire life to these things. Only after prolonged spiritual exertion of austerities did he achieve spiritual enlightenment.
At this stage, he then sought to show to others the way of spiritual development. His goal was to assist those who were indulging and suffering in this transitory world.
Lord Mahavira was, is and always will be a beacon to humankind. His miraculous personality profoundly impresses all who encounter it, both in the past and now. He was not a incarnation of any God but a simple human being just as we all are. He attained ‘Super Humanity' through spiritual exertion, and he preached that all people can achieve this goal through spiritual exertion.
Lord Mahavira was the propounder of the Jain religion Jainism is one of the oldest living religions in the world. It is not an offshoot of Hinduism or Buddhism, as scholars have now definitively proven. Although Indian philosophers were never confused about this issue, some western philosophers misinterpreted Jainism as an offshoot of Buddism or Hinduism. But now it is quite clear to all that Jainism has always been an independent religion.
Almost 2,600 years ago Lord Mahavira was born (B. 599 B.C., D-527 B. C) in Bihar, India. His father and mother were
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