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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 11
[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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Non-Violence: A Way of Life
of Vardhaman. In those days Kshatriyas fought terrible battles and killed countless enemies. Mahavira said, "What is the use of external battles? Fight your own selves. Conquer your own selves. Then only you can get true happiness."
अप्पाणमेव जुज्झाहि, किं ते जुज्झेण बज्झओ । अप्पाणमेव अप्पाणं Sa सुहमेहए ||
[He said, "He, who wins himself, wins a greater victory than he who wins thousands of warriors in a battle difficult to conquer."]
Thinking thus, Mahavira harboured a desire to renounce the world, but this pained his parents. When Mahavira was 28, his parents died and he prepared himself for initiation. But his elder brother Nandivardhana felt that the loss of their parents was just a recent blow and so he would not be able to bear his brother's separation so soon. Vardhaman respected the desire of his elder brother Nandivardhan and continued to live in the fold of the samsara two years longer. But to him the city or the forest made no difference. Even in his royal palace, he lived the life of an ascetic. Sitting in a lonely place in the vast royal palace, he passed most of his time in meditation. Thus a year passed. From the second year, he started giving alms. Every morning he gave alms for three hours. He gave away in alms
- gold, silver, riches and grains. He fed the hungry. Under the Ashoka tree, he himself tore five handfuls of hair. He took great vows which would bind him, too. "From today through thoughts, words or my physical self, I will not do an evil deed, I will not have an evil deed done and I will not help anyone doing an evil deed. I will perfectly purify the soul."
At that moment, everyone was torn between feelings of joy and of sorrow. All were deeply moved in their hearts.
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