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Austerity and endurence of...
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compare this vision and outlook of Buddha with that of the Nirgrantha tradition, we find that there is no basic d fference bet.
outlooks of the Nirgrantha tradition and that of Mahā. vira. This is because both the outlook of Mahāvīra and the literature of the entire Nirgrantha tradition that upholds its preaching state, with one voicel that tortures to and suffering of the body can be very severe. If however, the two are not useful for preveation of mental suffering and for spiritual purity, then both are of no use. Physical toiture is meaningful only till it is related to spiritual purity. Here, a question strikes our mind very naturally. Why did Buddha repudiate it then? We get an answer to this from Buddha's tendencies in life and his preaching. Buddha's temperament was excessively rational and prone to acceptance of change. When his tempera:nent was not satisfied with acute suppression of the body, he discarded it and labelled it an extremily. He then laid greater stress on the path of meditation, an ethical way of life and inte. llect. He attained to spiritual happiness only on that path; he established a new Sangha on the same.
For one who raises a new Sangha, it becomes necessary that he tries to win the maximum acceptance of the peɔple regarding his new leaning and attitude regarding his conduct and thought. He should also severely criticise the preceding and contemporary sects in the absence of this, he can neither attract followers in his new Sangha aor retain them. Many were the existent traditions that could stand in rivalry to the new Sangha of Buddha and the Nirgrantha tradition had no mean influence on these. The common people, with their superficial vision are easily atracted towards ascetics because of their acute external austerity and physical torture. This is a universal experience. Now, the facts were these, The followers of the Pārsvapatyika Nirgrantha tradition had derived the spirit of austerity from its infancy and the general public was leaning very much towards the Nirgranthas because of the severe austerities of Mahāvira and his Sangha. Again, on seeing the looseness of Buddha regarding austerities, persons questioned bim in these words. “Why do you not believe in austerity when all 1. Daśavaitālika 9-4-4. Fhagavati 3-1.
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