________________
INTRODUCTION TO JAINISM
was widely practiced -first took refuge in the śramana tradition: he abandoned his jewels and his head of hair, and practiced extreme forms of asceticism. He became a disciple of the Jain monk Pihitāsrava,'' and meditated and did penance in the forest together with other ascetics. But at a certain moment, when he had lost all the strength of his body and mind, he accepted a little bit of food, and concluded that this extreme asceticism would not bring him the desired result of bodhi (enlightened wisdom). He was no longer accompanied by his fellow ascetics, who now looked upon him as someone who had failed. Eventually he sat down under a bodhi tree and, after three days and nights, reached the highest enlightenment which is possible at present for a human in this cycle. In the beginning the Buddha was doubtful whether he would be able to find any disciples who would be able to understand his teachings. He went to a location in the Deer Park near Varanasi (Sarnath). There, according to the Buddhists, he met five ascetics, and they immediately recognized that he had indeed reached enlightenment and became his first disciples. The Buddhist view seems to conflict with that of the Jains. The Jains say that Gautama has indeed failed by accepting food. Nevertheless a comparable story (symbolically) is told about Rishabha. Long after his followers had given up the path of penance, Rishabha fasted for six months, and then walked daily for six months, and then, after a year of fasting, he entered - at an astrologically very auspicious moment – the city named Hastinapura, where he was received with much respect by a king called Shrenik. He offered Rishabha some sugarcane juice in the right way as it should be given to a monk, and he accepted; and this was the first food Rishabha as a monk took on his six-month long wanderings. After that he accepted it regularly once a day. Even in our time the day on which this happened is regarded as an auspicious day by Jains.
Rishabha continued his meditations and penances until he sat down under a tree. One early morning he achieved union with his highest Self, and the same moment was
Jain Education International
For Personal & Private Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
