Lord Mahavira Vol 01

Author(s): S C Rampuria
Publisher: Jain Vishva Bharati Institute

Page 81

72
Lord Mahâvîra
obstruction from village, town, forest, farm, room, courtyard, etc.; as to time, obstruction from eternal time (kala), unit to (samaya), âvalikâ, till ayana or any other longer period; as to cognition, obstruction from anger, period attachment, greed, fear and laughter. Leaving aside the four months of the rainy season, they never stayed in a village beyond one night and in a town beyond five nights. They were always alike to excreta and sandal paste, to a lump of clay and a bar of gold, to pleasure and pain. They were free from attachment to this life as well as life hereafter. They lived with a single purpose which was to annihilate totally the bondage of karma which would entitle them to liberation.
While wandering, the monks were required to perform penances, external as well as internal. Internal penance has six types and external penance too has six types.
In that period, at that time, Sramana Bhagavân Mahâvîra had many monks in his order who were highly illustrious (Bhagavanta). Some were the masters of Acâra Sruta, till Vipaka Sruta (i.e., masters of 11 Angas, from Acaranga till Vipaka). Some read them, some resolved doubts, some repeated them, some ruminated over them, some gave four types of spiritual discourse, viz., attracting people from attachment to fundamentals, reverting them from a weak track, creating in them a desire for liberation and making them indifferent to mundane like. Some lived with their thighs up and head bent low, sheltered in the cell of meditation, enriching their soul by restraint and penance.
They were afraid and alarmed of the world which is like an ocean full of severe miser, with its non-ending and restless water which arises out of birth, old-age and death. In this water which is misery, there are waves establishing and breaking relations; these waves spread through thought-process. There are very deep waves of slaughter and bondage and they emit a terrible sound of attachment and lamentation.
The upper surface of this water which is misery in this worldly ocean is full of constant terror of death. It is full of foam made scolding. This is generated by waves (which establish and break relations) crushing against the hard rock of karma made of profound infamy, incessant pain from disease, frequent births and deaths, harsh words and scolding. This wordly ocean has the four passions as its base.