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Jainism : The Cosmic Vision All obeyed Vardhaman. Now his little adventure was over and the god departed. At that time the god said, “The great god Indra admired your intrepidity and heroism, but you are even more intrepid and heroic than we thought. Really, you are Mahavira."
Mahavira was sent to school. But to souls of this high order, schools and training there do not have much to offer. The teacher, who was astonished at his knowledge, said, "Trying to teach Mahavira is like holding up a lamp to see the sun." In this very childhood, Mahavira thought deeply and found that the samsara was full of unhappiness. He saw that everyone liked to cause unhappiness to others, but no one likes even a shadow of unhappiness for himself. He thought, "As we love our soul, so all love their souls. As we like to live, so all like to live."
एवं खु नाणिणो सारं, जं न हिंसति किंचण ।
अहिंसासमयं चैव एयावन्तं विचाणिया ।। [This is the substance for the knowledgeable that no harm should be done to anyone. If this is true, nature of Ahimsa (non-violence) is understood, it is enough.)
It is the bond of illusion and jealousy, attachment and aversion, that causes happiness and unhappiness. Vardhaman saw that even the most hated of enemies does not do the harm which uncontrolled attachment and aversion do. As the chicken comes out of the egg and the egg comes out of the chicken, so greed produces craving, craving produces more greed. However great the strength and the power may be, they are not greater than love and mercy. He decided to find the empire of love and mercy in this world. Extraordinary were the thoughts
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