Bhagavana Mahavira and his Relevance in Modern Times

Author(s): Narendra Bhanavat, Prem Suman Jain, V P Bhatt
Publisher: Akhil Bharat Varshiya Sadhumargi Jain Sangh

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Mahāvira and His Relevance
desires of which most of us are slaves. Purity is only another name for Holiness, which indicates cleanliness of your body and mind. This is why it is said and said truly that cleanliness ranks next to Godliness. Similarly Lord Mahāvīra simplified his Rule of Nonviolence by himself raising questions and getting obvious answers from his hearers in a logical, cogent and scientific manner. For example he put a question, though simple to appear but having far reaching consequences. "Can yon hold a red hot iron rod with your hands, if some one wants you to do it, and if your answer is “emphatic No" then what right have you to ask others to do a similar thing for your illusory pleasure, if you yourself cannot sustain the pain thereof ?” “Can you tolerate or put up with any injury or violence caused to your body or mind by other's deeds? If not, by what logic or reason, can you expect others to suffer injury or violence at your hands ? So naturally do unto others as you would like to be done by. Injury or violence to any life in any form animal or human is as harmful as it is to your own.".
Lord Mahāvīra explained the concept of Merit and Demerit (Punya-pāpa) in a simple, logical and scientific way. Sin is nothing else but causing injury to others or wounding their feelings. Punya or meritorious act is nothing but obliging others, who requires your help and which help, you are in a position to render. Punya or Merit is synonymous with Truth according to simplified teaching of his universal principle of Truth. To follow the natural Rule of Nonviolence is to follow science of Truth, Science of Nature, your own basic undefiled and unperverted tendency of your Inner Nature, though lying deep within you untouched except by higher sense. There cannot be one Law for one human being and another person in the realm of nature or pure science. So Lord Mahāvīra not only pointed out but demonstrated that real philosophy is practical, because it is a way of life to be lived and followed in our daily life on earth. Mahatma Gandhi has significantly observed that Rule of non-violence is not only the law of our human species but a rule of science as well. Special significance :
His teaching can be said to be all things to all men, because for a layman or householder, he simply taught to lead a simple, pure, natural holy life by following fivefold rule of conduct by avoiding
violence or injury, physical or mental, to others, avoiding falsehood
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