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I AM MAHAVIRA
24
Once, while I was in Śrāvastī, I found that the women, in general, also believed in witchcraft. On listening to their talks, I felt that the pundits are very careful even in sinful acts, how best it
could have been if they were as careful towards truth and proper
duties as in sin.
During my wanderings-on-foot, I had to experience the largest amount of inflictions in the Lādha country (Orissa). The
inhabitants of that country hated the nude ascetics and were spitted
against them. They threw stones at me. They encouraged the hounds at me. I tolerated all these inflictions as I was in search of the true path. How could it be possible without seeing and experiencing all kinds of states. Under these conditions, I classified the physical inflictions. I thought of twenty-two kinds of infliction. My rainy residence also did not make any impression upon the public there.
I saw that the people do not have much regard for the persons proficient in learnings. The wealth, office and external states are comparatively highly regarded. That is why I, realized that the boatmen that day were honouring the army commander and
they were asking fares from me for crossing the river.
I also could see the recurrence of the system of slavery. I hate this system. I wish this system to be abolished. It is why; I began accepting foods from the hands of man and women slaves.
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