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Communication:
LIFE AND PHILOSOPHY OF LORD MAHĀVĪRA Sadhvisri Dr. Yogakshemprabha
Bhagavan Mahāvīra, the 24th Tirthankara of Jainism, was born and brought up in a royal family. Because of increasing wealth, prosperity and peace, king Siddhartha and queen Trishalā named their child Vardhamāna. Living in a royal palace with all kinds of prosperity and comforts, Vardhamana the prince did not attach himself to them at all. From very childhood his spiritual consciousness was far away from sensuous pleasures. Unwillingly he passed thirty years in the palace.
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At the age of thirty Vardhamana renounced the world. Crowded with thousands of people the prince came into the Jñatakhand forest. Thrilled with joy he took off the household garments and jewellary. After plucking off hair, he abandoned all kinds of sinful activities forever. He resolved whole-heartedly to follow the principles and not to do any action born of attachment or aversion. He left the kingdom and entered into the universal empire where there were no rules and the ruled. He dedicated himself to the highest liberation.
Spending the challangeful twelve years of sadhanā and hard penance, he attained his goal. In the state of deep meditation, he broke the bondage of karma responsible for delusion, ignorance and spiritual weakness and gained direct perception. Becoming Omniscient he propounded precious preaching for co-existence and human equality. He had given the concept of nonviolence and peace. In the dense darkness of cruel-violent action, terrorism, enimity etc. ahimsa shows the
path of peace and friendship. Another doctrine of lord Mahāvīra is non-possessiveness. Possessiveness not only causes social imbalance, but also causes violence simultaneously. According to Mahāvīra
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