Jain Stories 01

Author(s): Mahendramuni, K C Lalwani
Publisher: A B Jain Shwetambar Terapanth Samaj

Page 18

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liberated pretty early in age But for most pcoplc, kinse or common-folks, monklicod is shown to bare invariably come in old age, making it somewhat similar to modern superannuation People have been inspired to monihood when in advanced age they had realised the fuulity of domestic life any more or by simply listening the inspiring sermon of some monk or spiritual Icader.
Closely linked up with the idea of transmigration of the soul is the idea of jali-smaran or remcmbering onc's pasc lile in which a person has bus past lifc revealed by a ponk or in wbich the revelation comes itself on witnessing a familiar scene or expriencing a familiar cient Wbatever the methodology, this gives on the memory of the past life, which in turn lends support to the idea of the transmigration of the soul. The revival of the memory of the past lifc has been invariably followed by renunciaton by the person concerned wło goes forth to attain the higher idcals of life Wherein the past life is revealed by a monk, in some cases, he has thrown light on the life hereafter It is on record that on a question by no less a person than King Srenika Bimbisara of Magadha, Mahavira revealcd that he was destined to go to hell and that this was irrevocable, On a further question, Mahavira said that Bimbisara was going to be the first 111 thankara of the Dext bracing phase of the time-cycle on completion of his life in hell All this must be very interesting to the reader
Practically all stories lend support to Mahavira's kriyavada in some way or other In a nutshell, krig'azada means actionism, which further means that man is the architect of his own future, and that there is no power in heaven, earth or the nether world which can either help or hinder a determined man Two supporting pillars are knowledge and action, and Mahavira is said to have observed, ynana-kriyabhiyam moksa Actionism has no scom for divine grace on the one hand, and, on the other, it