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[ Lord protects Goshala in Kurmagaon
feet, and with folded hands, said to him, “I did not konw, O Lord, this celestial spiritual power of yours up to this time. On the contrary, I was very proud of the power of my own penances, but my pride has gone and I have come to see and touch your holy feet. I hope you would kindly pardon me for the fault that I have committed unwillingly.” Lord Mahavira excused him, and he then returned to his own place.
When the ascetic had gone away, Goshala asked the Lord how such a Tejolesya could be obtained, and the Lord replied that, in order to obtain such power, one should practise a severe penance for six months, drink hot water after eating a handful of boiled Urad (a kind of grains ) once a day at the completion of the penance, and stand with hands stretched, facing the sun, every day.
Lord Mahavira, then, left Kurmagaon for Siddharthapura. When he reached near the sesame-plant Goshala said to him, "When we passed this way last time, we saw a sesame-plant growing here. You had told me, on my asking, that plant would surely bear fruit and that the seven souls in its flower would turn into seeds of its fruit, but, Sir, neither the plant nor its fruit can be seen at this place. "At this, the Lord pointed out to Goshala the plant, growing at the place where Goshala had thrown it away. Goshala went near it, split its fruit in two and was very much surprised to see that it contained only seven seeds inside. This occurrence created a desire in his heart to become a true ascetic and strengthened his faith in rebirth. ATTAINMENT OF TEJOLESHYA AND ITS
MISUSE BY GOSHALA. Goshala again felt a craving for separation. He could
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