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PARABLES OF MAHAVIRA
HERMANN JACOBI
The Parable of Three Merchants
Three merchants set out on their travels, each with his capital ; one of them gained there much, the second returned with his capital, and the third merchant came home after having lost his capital.
The capital is human life, the gain is heaven ; through the loss of that capital man must be born as a denizen of hell or a brute animal.
He who brings back his capital is one who is born again as a man.
But he who increases his capital is one who practises eminent virtues ; the virtuous, excellent man cheerfully attains the state of gods.
The Parable of the Ram
As somebody, to provide for a guest, brings up a young ram, gives it rice and gram, and brings it up in his yard ;
Then when it is grown up and big, fat and of a large belly, fattened and of a plump body, it is ready for the guest.
As long as no guest comes, the poor animal lives ; but as soon as a guest arrives, its head is cut off, and it is eaten.
As this ram is well treated for the sake of a guest, even so an ignorant, great sinner longs, as it were, for life in hell.
He is desirous of women and pleasures, he enters on undertakings and business, drinks liquor, eats meat, becomes strong, a subduer of foes.
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