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Bhagawan Mahavir]
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this-world two kinds of progress, one rising upwards and the other falling downwards. A man can raise himself to the position of Supreme Atman or God, if he likes; and again he can descend to the very bottom and ruin himself completely by following the opposite path. The first is the result of good company and the second that of the bad. However, after obtaining the title of Acharya', Muni Jamali busied himself with the practice of Penance for his spiritual betterment, Priya Darshana, too, practised severe austerities, keeping the ideal of Chandana-Bala before her.
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RISE OF MITHYATVA (PERVERTED BELIEF) IN THE CASE OF THE ACHARYA JAMALI.
After a long passage of time, Acharya Jamali thought of wandering independently of the Lord. He, therefore came with his disciples to Lord Mahavira one day and after paying his usual respects to him, laid his thoughts before him. Lord Mahavira did not say anything in reply because he knew by means of his spiritual power that the consequence of such a wandering was bad. But according to the proverb "To keep silence is to agree, Acharya Jamali thought that Lord Mahavira was quite willing to give him permission for an independent roaming. He, therefore, started for Vihara with his disciples and came to the city of Shravasti, where he was received very warmly by the people of that place. He took his abode in a garden named' Koshtaka', and was supplied with everything that he wanted. The food arrangement, however, was not good; and the result was that he fell sick all of a sudden. The constant attack of fever made him so weak that he was unable even to stand up on his legs. He,
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