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The Agam Vani in the Teachings of Shrimad Rajchandra facting compassionate towards the invisible ones. And that too at the age of seven? In the beginning, he was a Vaishnavait but he was initiated into Jainism by his mother Devba. He felt compassion for the invisible souls when he saw his mother performing pratikraman (Penitential retreat) Jainism inculcated in him non-violence, compassion and sensitivity. His ideal, while a child, was Mahavira and he set out on the path of renunciation. For him Bhagwan Mahavira's sermons were a source of inspiration and his devotion towards him become his goal.
The Agam Vani in the Teachings of
Shrimad Rajchandra
O ne can hardly find a person in the world who has not shed tears. Tears are shed when one is in pain or on the death of a beloved one or when one suffers a shock. But these are tears of ordinary mortals, not of a saint.
He had studied many a religious text. He was a diamond merchant and his transactions amounted to lakhs of rupees. When he found time, he would read Agams (Scripture). Gandhiji was surprised to find him engrossed in business on the one hand to earn his living, and on the other hand he drank deep from the ocean of Agams and other religious scriptures. In fact, he was introspecting all the time. Externally, it appeared that he was a hardcore businessman but his inner being had set its eyes on the path of salvation.
A saint weeps when he sees others suffer or are in a state of anguish. His eyes become moist when the world is in throes of pain. Bhagwan Buddha wept seeing an old man and a dead body. Bhagwan Mahavira's eyes welled with tears when he saw Sangamdev, bound by karma and committing sins. When did Shrimad Rajchandra shed tears ? It happened when he was aged seven and his mother asked him to mince vegetables. He wondered as to how many invisible organism he would be harming thereby.
We have known people showing compassion to visible souls but here was Shrimad Rajchandra
Shrimad Rajchandra studied not only Jain scriptures but others too. His favourite was Yogvashishta. Bhagwad Gita was the first book he gave to Mahatma Gandhiji, when Gandhi faced a spiritual crisis in his life. He had even read the Bible and the Old Testament. One who sees the world beyond the physical world can only realise the true essence of religion.
He pored over such Jain texts as Adhyatmakalpadrum, Adhyatmasar, Kartikeyanupreksha, Yogadrashti Samacchhaya, Samaysar and Sanmati Tark. His speeches were replete with
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