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Jainism : The Cosmic Vision said, “Never has this happened and never will it happen in the life of one who seeks to realize the soul. Self-realization or selfliberation is not to be attained with the help of others. This is the ideal of one who seeks to realize the soul. Tri Erz खग्गविसाणकप्पो (He proceeds alone and by his own efforts attains liberation.) The liberation of every soul depends upon his own strength, valour and exploits."
Mahavira proceeded all alone. Sometimes among the ruins of a building, sometimes through burial grounds, sometimes in a thick forest and sometimes in a deep ravine, he sat in meditation. And so he came to a vast hermitage of Duijjanta ascetics in the Moraka camp. This hermitage stood on the bank of a fine stream among green pastures. The head of the hermitage was an intimate friend of Bhagwan Mahavira's father, Siddhartha. Mahavira accepted his warm welcome and stayed there. The head of the hermitage gave him a thatched cottage to live in. Mahavira, the great monk, stayed there for the rainy season. Monsoon did not set in quite in time. So no fresh grass appeared on the pastures. Hungry cows came to graze and began to pull the hay off the thatched hut. The ascetics, drove the cows away with sticks. But Mahavira was engrossed in unbroken meditation. Attracted by the sweetsmelling substances applied to his body at the time of initiation, insects such as worms, butterflies, gnats and mosquitoes started swarming around stinging him. But Mahavira was quite detached. Other ascetics saw that, while with sticks in hands, they protected their own cottages all the day long, Mahavira did not care for his possessions at all. The ascetics began to slander him. The head of the hermitage came to know this. He said to Mahavira, “Even birds protect their nests. But you don't
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