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practices of penance which Buddha had ruled out from his programme. Even though the matter stands thus, Buddha did give place to certain disciplines and performances and practices.
Jainism
Self Control
The secret of the efficacy of Mahavira's penances and austerities lies in his advocacy of self-restraint. It was his vow not to inflict injury, howsoever small, to maintain friendship and amity with all and to suffer silently all the obstacles and odds that beset his path with complete equanimity. He earned the epithet of Mahavira because he, like a brave, bold man, carried out his vow fully.
It is important to limit one's own activities in order to ensure complete self-control, because man, however he may wish, can never put forth such effort as will bring about benefit to all. He can, with very great difficulty, make some people around him happy at the most. How can he take, then, the responsibility to make all people happy? But this does not mean that he should not do anything in that direction. A person having at his heart a feeling of love, affection and friendship for all people in the world must try to enlarge it every time. He should reduce his physical activities and needs to such an extent that others may not be put to trouble at all. He should have those dealings only and should do those activities only which are absolutely necessary. His own unavoidable activities also should be done with complete carefulness. This is what is called self-control and that constitutes a way to renunciation.
Mahavira's Realization
With great awareness, Bhagavan Mahavira took to this road to realization. The oldest portion of Acaranga called the first Śrutaskandha contains the description of the tremendous effort made by him to purify his soul, to fully invest it with knowledge, bliss and power and also to remove obstacles crippling the effort. Its perusal gives a clear insight into the herculean task which he had undertaken upon himself to achieve realization. In the description there is no mention of any divine or magical occurrence or of any such things as unbelievable or partly untrue or improbable. The description seems to be concerning with the life of an ordinary human being. We find there a biographical account of a man of self-control who is also full of vigilence and is unyielding as also of one who is marching ahead to his goal of perfection. By comparing this biographical account with the dos and don'ts of ethical conduct of the Jainas, it is abundantly clear that Bhagawan Mahavira has made an attempt to preach and to take others to the road of self-realization which he himself has resorted to.
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