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380
JAIN RAMAYAN
exercises unopposed sway. He is the ruler of Dashangapur. He is one of the most intelligent and valiant potentates. He is very fond of hunting. He is incomparable as a hunter in Avanti.
Once, he went hunting into a forest. It was a wild and dreadful forest. Even before he had started hunting in the forest he met a great muni there. The Muni was standing in deep meditation. Vajrakarna's amazement knew no bounds. He thought that the Muniraj had lost his way and had wandered into the forest.
He approached the muni and asked him; “Why are you standing here like a palm tree ?”
After having completed the meditation, the muni said, “I am carrying on meditation to attain spiritual elevation.”
"Maharaj, are you trying to attain spiritual elevation ? What kind of spiritual endeavours can you carry out in a forest ? How can you carry out spiritual endeavours in this wild forest where you cannot get food or water and where men do not live and where even birds do not live ? Oh revered one! I am really unable to understand this."
Vajrakarna sat there to hear the Muni's reply.
"Noble man, we can attain spiritual welfare by means of dharma. I have become a sadhu only to adore and practise Dharma and I have come into this forest voluntarily to carry on meditation.” The traveller seeking a clarification said:
"Oh you holy man ! How is it possible ?"
Then the mahamuni explained to Vajrakarna how the soul is different from the body. He said that spiritual welfare could not be attained by means of eating and drinking, amusements and physical enjoyments and that they would only impede spiritual elevation. He pointed out that non-voilence, self-discipline and spiritual austerities would bring felicity to the soul and that by acting according to those principles man could attain welfare in this world and in the other world and could attain liberation from the cycle of birth and death. He also added that
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