Jainism Abroad

Author(s): Pratap J Tolia
Publisher: Vardhaman Bharati International Foundation

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"Every man should think that he has to depart certainly one day, leaving behind fields, house, gold, sons and wife (i.e., family), relations, - (in fact) leaving (even) the body.
"Exp. A man should always bear this in mind that when the time comes to exit from this world, he cannot take anything with him, not even his body." *
THE CALL AND THE RENUNCIATION
EXPERIENCING this before his own eyes , Vardhamana remains thoroughly detached and Soul-centered in course of all the happy or sorrowful happenings in his family. Continuously rotates the cycle of his thinking and deep-selfintrospecting:" Who am I? Where have I come from? What is my real form ? ......"
He gets deeply absorbed in this thinking (as it is beautifully depicted in the "JIVANTA-SWAMY" Statue of Mathura Museum) in course of which he finds and listens that - awaited CALL, the SUPREME CALL, in which there is a demand, there is a command, there is an invitation -
"JE EGAM JANAI, SE SAVVAM JANAI" -----"One who knows one - the Soul-knows everything" ----- ----"Come and know thyself, realize thyself, attain thyself........!"----- -----And listening this Divine Call from within, he has started deeply longing. His hidden quest has been awakened. He intends to find out and give befitting reply to this Challenging Call, He aspires to search his real, original "Self". He wants to realize it and get absorbed in it by attaining it in its deeper integrity. No, it couldn't be realized and attained in the Kingly Palace of Vaishali........... He wants to experience it in the rigorous, living, exact and experimental life........ He wants himself to test and purify it in serious trials......
The first condition of it was - "SARVASANGAPARITYAGA" - the total detachment of all the associations, external as well as internal, the complete renunciation. The renunciation full of internal state of "BHAVA-DASHA". The renunciation pointed to the purification and realization of the Soul ........the renunciation inspite of all the worldly possessions around (which have lost their meanings and become utterly 'useless' for him). The renunciation of a 'mighty', of a 'brave' one! For attaining the "NIRGRANTHA-DASHA" (the attachment-less state) through the above-mentioned external and * THE UTTARADHYAYANA SUTRA*: 19.16, English comments from:"The Teachings of Bhagawan Mahaveer".
Internal renunciation, Vardhaman Mahaveera has approached elder brother Nandivardhana for his permission.... ndivardhana - the unhappy bereaved brother after the death of dear parents.....! How could he relieve Vardhaman and allow him to renounce in such a sad state of life? His brooding heart and weeping eyes prevent Mahaveera from renouncing for further two years, which he agreeingly passes in more and more growing detachment and Selfintrospection.
One more year passes and resolved as he was, neither Nandivardhana, nor Yashoda, nor did Priyadarshana have any reason to come in way and to become an obstacle in his great great path of renunciation.
And then follow the Celestial Gods, beseeching him to establish the great religious order which may lead all to the eternal bliss and liberty. And then....... The whole year before the great renunciation, he passes in distributing his enormous wealth to the poors and the "have nots" in charity --------- Thus himself establishing by his own example the importance of "DANAM" and "APARIGRAHA" he himself was going to preach in his future course of life.
And at last came that day, that "uniquely unprecedented, unforeseen" day, for which he was longing.......
See ......... 'Observe!!......... he was now resolved to cut off all the attachments and associations and has started for his last voyage to become the Internally & Externally detached NIRGRANTHA, to ride the MOKSHAMARGA - the