Agam 01 Ang 01 Acharang Sutra Aayaro Terapanth

SR No.: 006521
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Tulsi Acharya
Publisher: Jain Vishva Bharati
Publication Year: 1981
Total Pages: 472
Language: English
Classification: Book_English, Agam, Canon, & agam_acharang
File Size: 17 MB

Page 45

ĀYĀRO
your birth as an elephant, while now you are a human being and an ascetic too. Only a little discomfort has perturbed you. Is it worthy of you? Then you kept your foot hanging in the air out of compassion for one small hare and would now like to go back to worldly life where every step of yours would result in injury to countless beings?
On hearing this from the Lord, Meghakumāra got lost in contemplation and introspection which brought back the memory of his previous life. This incident reinforced his faith and strengthened his unattachment, Tears rolled out of his eyes out of sheer ecstacy. He no more thought of his perturbance and resolved to follow the sādhană steadfastly. He bowed to the Lord and said - "Lord! I dedicate my whole body except the eyes to the services of the ascetic order. May the order utilise my humble services."
This is how Mahavira used to enlighten the sădhakas. In order to develop the memory of previous birth, a sadhaka would sit in meditation and concentrate his mind on any of the questions such as:
a. From which direction have I migrated to this birth?
Whether from the east direction or the west direction ? Whether from the north direction or the south direction? Whether from the direction above or below? Who am I?
Who was l in the previous birth? d. What shall I become in the next birth?
b
.
The ethical code prescribed by Bhagavān Mahāvira mainly consists in the practice of non-violence (ahimsa). Its philosophical base is the existence of soul. Unless a sādhaka is enlightened with the unobscured knowledge of soul, he cannot have unflinching faith in the ethical code of non-violence. That is why the author of the scripture establishes the existence of soul in the very beginning of the present texte
४. एवमेगेसिं जं णातं भवइ-अत्थि मे आया ओववाइए । जो
इमाओ दिसाओ अणुदिसाओ वा अणुसंचरइ, सव्वाओ दिसाओ सव्वाओ अणुदिसाओ जो आगो अणुसंचरइ सोहं ।