Lord Mahavira

SR No.: 034936
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Boolchand
Publisher: Jain Cultural Research Society
Publication Year: 1948
Total Pages: 124
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 12 MB

Page 87

PROPAGATION OF THE DOCTRINE
The last thirty years of his life Mahavira spent in the propagation of his doctrine. He travelled through many parts of India, preaching and converting people to his faith, stopping as before for the four months of the rainy season at one place. It is possible to reconstruct a complete account of his travels from the names of the places where he passed his rainy seasons, mentioned in the Jain texts.
Conversion of the Ganadharas
The Lord attained the Kevala-jñāna while sitting in meditation under a Sāla tree in the field of the householder Samaga outside the town Jrimbhikagrama. Immediately on the attainment of Kevalajñāna, there is a Jain tradition, the Thirthankara holds a public conference in Samava sarana and preaches the doctrine, making converts. But Mahavira made no converts in his first public audience. This in Svetambara Jain texts is regraded as having been a very "unusual occurrence" (3178274). Probably the reason was because the public was not available at the spot to listen to his preaching. The Digambara tradition does not admit the holding of the first samava sarana in the field of Samaga immediately on the attainment of Kevala-jñāna.
Knowing that a big Yajña had been organised by a Brahman Somilacharya at a place at some distance from Jrimbhikagrama, he moved on to that place and held his second public audience there. He explained his own doctrine of the Jiva, Karma, Asrava, Bandha, Nirjara and Moksha and then went on to say that "four things of paramount value are difficult to obtain here by a living being ; human birth, instruction in the Law, belief in it and energy in self-control. The Universe