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The Detachment of Mrgāputra
Once, while looking out of the palace-balcony, Balaśrī saw a pious, austere and restrained Šramaņa monk who was passing that way and recalled his monastic life that he had led in his past life. He realised the futility of leading a mundane life and became totally detached from worldly ways. He wanted to become a monk and went to his parents to seek their permission to do so.
He said, "O' father ! O' mother! I have come to know the misery that attends the worldly creatures and have realised the futility of leading the miserable worldly life; I have realised the transient nature of things including my own body and have come to know of the fallacy of sensory pleasures that ultimately result in more misery than the pleasure they give; I have realised that the worldly wealth and riches do not accompany anybody when one dies and that one day I, too, shall have to leave all this and die; I have, therefore, set liberation from this miserable mundane. existence as my goal and I do want to leave this miserable world beset by birth, decay, disease and death and follow the path of liberation. As a wayfarer who leaves without victuals falls on bad times and is tormented by hunger and thirst, so a traveller of the path of liberation who goes without having taken the way, fare of spiritual practices also falls on bad destiny and wanders. As the owner of a burning house takes out expensive items and leaves worthless ones to burn so do I wish to salvage my soul from this world that burns in the fire of decay and death. I seek your permission to become a monk.”
On hearing Mrgāputra's detached talk his parents who were in the grip of parental affection and were deeply attached to him, wished to dissuade him from his intended monastic ordination and wanted to frighten him away from his intent by narrating the hardships and affliction that he was likely to encounter in his monastic life. However Mrgāputra's detachment was steadfast
318 : JAINISM: THE CREED FOR ALL TIMES
