Jain Journal 2008 01 No 03

SR No.: 520269
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Satyaranjan Banerjee
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication
Publication Year: 2008
Total Pages: 56
Language: English
Classification: Magazine, India_Jain Journal, & India
File Size: 3 MB

Page 27

Satya RanjanBanerjee:ContributionoftheJainsin Developing MoralFibresoftheIndians
131
It is to be noted that there are lots of stories in Jain literature where the practice of tolerance, as one of the highest qualities in Jain religion is adumbrated. One of such stories is the story of Caņdakauśika. Candakausika was a very big black poisonous snake. He used to bite many people. As a result, many people did not dare go to the field for cultivating. Once Lord Mahāvīra came in contact with him and tried to tame him and persuade him to practise ahiṁsā. At the initial stage he was very reluctant to follow his advice, but ultimately defeated by his argument, he listened to Mahāvīra and started practising non-violence. Gradually, because of his practising non-violence, Caņdakausika became harmless. Seeing Candakausika harmbess, the villagers started teasing him and threw stones at him. After a few days of Candakausika's miserable plight, Lord Mahāvīra met him and asked him about his present condition. To which Candakauśika replied, “Lord, you have asked me to practise nonviolence and I have followed your path. Now I have become tolerant. To which the Lord replied, “Caņdakausika, I have asked you to stop hurting people, but I have never told you to stop hissing at men. This is, perhaps, one of the greatest stories of tolerance in Jain literature.
In a similar way, lots of stories and sub-stories can be cited from Jain literature to show how the sense of tolerance is illustrated. In the Samarāiccakahā of Haribhadra (705-775 A.D.), lots of stories and sub-stories are interwoven where the tolerance through pañca mahāvrata and trigupti is illustrated.
In the same way, in the Kuvalayamālācampū of Uddyotana Sūri (779 A.D.) many stories are found for tolerance. The wanderer, who is the hero of the story, travelled different parts of India and wherever he went he faced lots of difficulties to encounter with the people belonging to different parts of the country. Because he followed particularly the message of trigupti in his wanderings, he overcame all sorts of difficuties in his life.
The Jain literature is full of stories to illustrate the different aspects of Jainism, and tolerance is one of them. In this short space and time, it is not possible to ransack all these stories where the episodes on tolerance are adumbrated.
.