Jain Lesson I

Author(s): JAINA Education Committee
Publisher: Diwakar Prakashan

Page 49

Storld and econo Lesson 14 walletto THE DAUGHTER-IN-LAW SOMA
Long long ago, there lived a merchant who was very religious. He was Jain. Every morning, when he woke up, he used to recite the Namokār Mantra, peacefully perform Sāmāyik, and then he used to bow down to Sadhus.
This merchant had a daughter whose name was Soma. She also performed religious activities like her father. She had taken a vow from a Sadhu that when she woke up, she would recite the Navkar Mantra and perform Sāmāyik.
When she turned eigteen she got married. Her in-laws were not very nice. They didn't like the idea of religion, and they hated Jainism. Her mother-in-law didn't practice any religious activities at all and didn't like it when Soma performed her prayers.
Soma didn't know what to do. Should she forsake her religion? No, she would continue to observe her religion. Every morning she would wake up early and recite the Namokār Mantra and perform Sāmāyik. Every time her mother-in-law tried to prevent her from undertaking her religious activities, she used to curse Soma, but Soma did not pay attention to her. Soma was very polite. She repeatedly requested her mother-in-law to understand. Soma did whatever her mother-in-law told her to do, but she wanted to spend at least forty eight minutes for her prayers.
Soma's mother-in-law did not pay any attention to her request. She kept on disturbing Soma. Sometimes she would scream at Soma and physically abuse her. Soma stayed calm and tolerated all o problems. Soma never said a single unkind word to her mother-inlaw. She had learned about Ahimsa (Non-violence) from her parents and her religious teachers. She understood the importance of patience.
One day Soma's mother-in-law decided to resort to an extreme measure. She got a poisonous snake from a snake charmer and put it in a pot. In the evening when it started to get dark, she called Soma
and asked her to bring the flower garland from the pot.
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Jain E
cation Interational