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Mrgāputra-“O'mother ! O' father ! what you have just said is
true but nothing is difficult for one who has overcome the delusion caused by mundane attachment. In this indefinite worldly wandering, birth after birth, I have experienced many fearful pains and miseries, faced many a frightful fear, bore many a tormenting tortures in hellish and other births in four living species. In the hellish births I have born heat that was infinitely hotter than fire, cold that was colder than ice. There, I was cooked on fire, sawed by saws, dragged on pointed thorns, pierced by swords, spears, beaten by iron bars and cut to pieces. There, I was pressed in large and heavy presses and torn by frightening wild beasts. There, I was put under redhot yokes, lashed by whips and picked by the sharp beaks of fearful birds of prey like vultures and eagles. O' dear father! Hellish pains and miseries are infinite times more unbearable as compared to the ones we see here. There, there is no respite even for a moment. Thus, I have born many hardships, afflictions and painful miseries such that the hardships of monastic life will pale in comparison.”
Seeing that their son was steadfast in his detachment from the mundane and that he knew about what he was wanting to do, it was clear to the parents that there was no stopping him from becoming a monk. However, they tried again.
The Parents – “Son ! it is fine if you wish to become a monk but
have you thought that in the monastic life it is very painful not to take treatment when one becomes ill and
indisposed? Mrgāputra - "O' mother ! O'father! what you say is true but
who treats a dear in the forest when it falls ill, who gives it medicine and who feeds it looks after it? As it recovers health all by itself and returns to the grazing ground so I will also lead the monastic life without treatment and
320 : JAINISM: THE CREED FOR ALL TIMES
