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ASPIRANT'S GUIDE
servant instead of having taken the trouble of coming to my place in this hot sun. I would have visited you."
The pleader replied, "Yes, it occurred to me in the beginning, but when I thought of this scorching heat, I did not feel it right to send the servant. If he would come, he would have been either walking or on a bicycle, instead of a horse cart and in that case, he would have suffered more this terrible heat. With this in mind, I preferred to come myself."
What a humane treatment of the servant it was ! He looked upon the servant also as a friend ! (2) Acharya Shri Buddhisagarji was a great Jain Monk of Gujurat who lived in the early part of the present century. He was a great yogi, scholar, and historian. He was the founder of the popular pilgrimage place "Mahudi" in Northern Gujurat. He was also the author of many high standard spiritual books.
Acharya Shri was in the habit of sitting in a nearby cave for meditation at night. Now and then violent animals wander around the cave. Shree Mohanlal Bhakharia notes, "Once, while he was seated in meditation, a black cobra six feet long entered the cave. I got up at once and warned him, "Sir ! There is a big cobra nearby !"
The Acharya opened his eyes and said, "Why are you afraid ? A cobra delights in the company of saints and munis !" Surely there was no fear in the heart of a saint who has a clear vision of a soul similar to his in all living beings! He experiences a spirit of friendliness towards all, be they violent or otherwise. This is real friendliness indeed !
About sixty years ago, Shree Buddhisgarji was spending last few days of his life. Dr. Cooper, a famous surgeon of the city of Anand, had examined him and declared that the body of Shree Buddhisagarji had now only a little time to live. However, the Acharya remained engrossed in the discourse of knowledge and meditation, unaffected by this declaration. (3) About a hundred years ago, a saint, Dwarkadasaji by name, was meditating ( Sadhana) in a holy place called Hrishikesh. He was totally concentrated in the spiritual ecstasy and remained naked, Digambara (clothed in the sky). Once a British officer was hunting nearby and he killed a tiger but the female tiger 126
SADHAK-SATHI
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