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Shri Mahavir Jain Aradhana Kendra
www.kabatirth.org
Acharya Shri Kailassagarsuri Gyanmandir
He realized this was a reaction to past karma,
so he patiently bore the pain in silence.
the SEVEREST TEST
AHATIRA LEFT THE CITY OF KAUSHAVUBI BEHIND and walked on. He came to a small village, near which he found a quiet spot on the side of a forest. There he halted and stood under a tree to meditate. Surrounding that spot was a pasturing ground where villagers would graze their animals. At the end of the day a farmer came past
on his way home, driving his bullocks before him. When he saw a stranger standing there, he thought he would leave his bullocks to graze under the stranger's care, while he went home to rest. So he asked Mahavira to watch his animals for a while.
As darkness fell, Mahavira remained in deep meditation, while the bullocks grazed contentedly. Soon the farmer returned for his bullocks and, as had happened many years earlier in a similar situation, could not find them. Mahavira, deep in meditation, had been unaware of all that had happened, oblivious of the man's request and of his animals, who had wandered away out of sight. The farmer was furious.
"You fool, you have neglected my bullocks. Where are they?" Mahavira gave no reply
"Why do you not answer me? Can't you hear?" shouted the farmer. "Perhaps your ears are blocked. Let me clear them for you.
Blinded with rage, the farmer did a terrible thing. He gathered two thick roots of tall pampas grass and cut them with his knife into sharpened pegs, which he drove cruelly into each of Mahavira's ears, sinking them deep until they were buried out of sight in the holes of his ears. Satisfied that he had meted out proper punishment, the cruel man marched off, leaving Mahavira in silent agony. As on countless other occasions when he found himself the victim of other's anger, he made no complaint. Although he felt intense pain, no sound passed his lips.
"What must I have done in some previous lifetime to deserve this reaction?" he thought to himself.
Mendendo. The cruel mercate
or tall frampas egoera
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