Jains Through Time

Author(s): Shilapi Sadhvi
Publisher: Veerayatan

Page 26

The Jains through Time
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Instead, he was a leader of the people. He Mahavir, all the Tirthankars attempted to taught them how to generate resources by combat social evils. I am left breathless with their own efforts, as well as how to enjoy admiration at the compassion that flowed and share those resources with each other. from the heart of the twenty second He considered the demands of the age Tirthankar, Arishtanemi, in his ceaseless paramount, and teaching the people how to efforts to save the lives of even the humblest work collaboratively for the common good living creature. Tirthankar Mahavir too was helped raise humanity to a new and higher steadfast in trying to eradicate caste condition. In following these ideals restrictions, inter-caste animosity, lack of Tirthankar Rishabhdev was not alone; all respect for women, animal sacrifice and the the Tirthankars have followed this twofold exploitation of the lower classes. His path of concentrating on self-development continuous and remarkable efforts towards and on the welfare of others. Each of the these good causes have left me feeling Tirthankars during his own epoch kept deeply grateful. society thriving with his unique vision.
Without compassion we live not in a Compassion Incarnate - Arishtanemi cosmos but in chaos. Compassion began to All the Tirthankars were great promoters of mean something entirely new to me when the spiritual path of development and I remembered how Arishtanemi heard, over marvellous teachers in the art of living. They the mellifluous sounds of the shahanai (an were concerned with the problems of this Indian wind instrument), the cries of beasts world, while ceaselessly pointing the way to being led to the slaughter for his own liberation from the cycle of birth and death. wedding feast. Here was a virile young Whether opposing gory and futile self- bridegroom, decked out in all his finery, on mutilation in the name of religion, like his way to contracting a great dynastic Tirthankar Parshvanath, or attacking marriage. Yet he was swayed from his course injustices and exploitation, like Tirthankar by nothing more than the feeble bleats of a