Aspirants Guide

Author(s): Atmanandji Maharaj
Publisher: Shrimad Rajchandra Sadhna Kendra Koba

Page 61

ASPIRANT'S GUIDE
One day Tribhovanbhai, Maneklalbhai and other aspirants were having dinner with Shrimad Rajchandraji. When different vegetables were being served, Maneklalbhai refused because he had his vow (Vrata). Then sauce followed and he rejected that also. Then several other items were being served but he accepted some and rejected others. At last came rice-milk (Dudhapaka). As it was about to be served to Maneklalbhai, Shrimad Rajchandraji interrupted and said, "Do not serve rice-milk to him. He wants to inflate his self-esteem by abandoning small items. Actually, he does not want to discard items that nourish the taste."
Real abandonment of tastes of the tongue is to discard or limit the item that is very much to one's liking. Only such persons are heroes (Tyagavira). (2) A Jain monk Acharya Shantisagarji was the pioneer of the ascetic order among Digamber Jains. He did great penance and had thousands of disciples among Digamber Jains in India. He ended his life by voluntary renunciation of food in 1955. This procedure is known as Sallekahna.
in 1930, he stayed for four months during rainy season at Lalitpur village in Madhya Pradesh, India. There were also some ten or twelve other Jain monks who stayed at the village. Several householders were preparing food for them.
in Lalitpur, fruits like oranges and grapes were costly because these were imported from Delhi. When Acharya learnt of this, he put this idea very humbly before the other monks; "I will not beg for or eat from today to the end of the four months of the rainy season, all fruits, green vegetables and all tasty food. Also it is proper to discard fruits and green vegetables during the rainy season."
All other monks took the same vow to abandon fruits and green vegetables following him.
Thus, two things were accomplished together by Acharya-shree. The spirit of abandonment (Tyaga) on the pan of monks went up, and ordinary householders also could supply the food to monks because there was no need now of bringing costly fruits. An atmosphere of the proper spirit of religion and peace spread on all sides by this abandonment of taste of the tongue and discrimination in food. 52
SADHAK-SATHI