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Lord Mahâvîra
or non-material, peep inside; reach into the depth of the soul and feel the limitless energy therein. Fear engenders fear. One who is afraid of others is a coward. One who frightens others is also a coward."
Sect and Religion
Mahâvîra founded an association consisting of monks, nuns, laymen and lay-women for the sadhana of Dharma. He believed in collective dedication and encouraged this spirit among his followers. But he always considered religion and sect to be two different units., which through somewhat related, yet had their independent entity. He referred to four kinds of men :
1. Some renounce the sect, but not the religion. 2. Some renounce the religion, but not the sect.
3. Some renounce both i.e., the religion and the sect.
4. Some retain both i.e., religion and the sect.
The first and fourth are on the right path. They love truth more than their sect. After all, what counts is not creed but conduct, which is religion applied. Sect is an instrument to inspire those who want to dedicate their lives to renunciation. It gives momentum to the zeal and enthusiasm of a Sadhaka and makes his way smooth. It was this that made Lord Mahâvîra to organise his creed but he was quite alert. His religion was not smothered by sectarianism. He said, "those who love their sects more than truth, exterminate themselves through arrogance. One can realise the truth only by abandoning all kinds of external bondage. Sect is also a bondage. One who moves in the direction of truth realisation attains it in totality while the one who sticks only to the creed without paying any heed to truth goes astray. We cannot realise truth so long as we are obstinate in our thought, always assert that we are in possession of light and wisdom and all others are in darkness; obstinacy leads to destruction."
Way to Non-abolutism
One day it so happended that two disciples of Mahâvîra indulged in philosophical discussions. Arguments continued for a long time. Both were proud of their erudition. No one was ready to yield. Logic never leads to a conclusion.
At last they came to Lord Mahâvîra, and said, "Lord!
