Book Title: Jain Yug 1959
Author(s): Sohanlal M Kothari, Jayantilal R Shah
Publisher: Jain Shwetambar Conference

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Page 358
________________ Samsāra : A Man In The Well Once an Acārya named Amaragupta who had the supernatural knowledge Avadhi, visited the city of Rajapura. The King and the Prince Simha visited him. The Prince Simha then asked him to explain the nature of the world and its happiness and miseries and the nature of true Dharma. Ācārya preached as follows: "The Samsāra consists in fourfold ambulations viz. hell-life, lower animal life, human life and celestial life. As to happiness and miseries, happiness is meagre." He then related, for the explanation of happiness and miseries, the following parable: "A poor man lost his way in a dreadful forest, and was soon chased by a furious elephant, while in front, he was opposed by a dreadful demoness. To save himself, he fled towards a banyan tree but he could not climb it. Nearby, there was a well. He jumped in it and caught hold of the clump of reeds that grew on the side of the well. He perceived on the four sides of the well four serpents and at the bottom of the well a huge python. At the root of the clump, two black and white mice were gnawing. The elephant not finding his prey, shook the banyan tree so heavily that the bee-hive on it was disturbed. The bees flew and stung the man. But at the same time, the drops of honey fell on the face of the man. He licked them and was so much pleased that he forgot all about the dangers. The man is likened to a soul; the forest to Samsarā; the she-demon to the old age; the elephant to death; the banyan tree to Moksa; the well to human life; the four snakes to four principal passions; the clump of reeds to the length of human life; the white and black mice to the bright and dark halves of the month; the bees to diseases; the huge python to hell; the drops of honey to the happiness in the world." Narrating this parable, the Acārya advised the Prince to mind not this flicker of happiness but Dharma. The King and the Prince Simha were much pleased and returned to their palace. --SAMARAICCA-KAHA Haribhadrasuriji www कॉन्फरन्स को आप किस प्रकार से मदद कर सकते हैं? सभा स द बन कर 27'' q - - 5.800? E r qa'a'an -- 5.60% szafan '27'an . 348 , , 'qaf E. Po? कॉन्फरन्स द्वारा जैन साहित्य प्रचार जेसलमेर ज्ञानभंडार सूचि और धी जैन रिलीजीअन अन्ड लिटरेचर के लिए ज्ञान विभागमें (खातामें) उचित रकम भिजवा कर अथवा स्वयं प्रदान कर जैन युग ग्राहक बनकर वार्षिक उपहार रु.१ (प्रतिमास ता. को प्रकट किया जाता है) min

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