Book Title: Mahavira
Author(s): Pratap J Tolia
Publisher: Vardhaman Bharati International Foundation

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Page 11
________________ 10 liberated soul is soaring high and high reaching the pinnacle of Loka and going to the permanent abode of the SIDDHAS -"THE SIDDHASHILA" - from where he is never to return again, never I Here around his mortal frame the sounds of a grand meditative chorus are coming out from the voices of the bereaved lamenting Sangha gathered : "SIDDHA PRABHU NIRGRANTHA SARVAJNA DEVA" And from the heaven, Indra and the other Gods are descending to celebrate the NIRVANA KALYANAKA (the auspicious event of salvation) of BHAGAWAN MAHAVEERA. "They bathed his body with holy waters, applied Sandal paste, dressed the body in DEVA - DUSHYAS(heaventy silk) and decked and adorned him with a crown and other ornaments. He was carried in a palanquin and millions had joined the procession to pay their last homage to the Great Lord. There was solemn celestial music accompanied by musical instruments. The palanquin was placed on a pyre of fragrant Sandalwood. The final prayers were offered. Clarified butter (Ghee) was sprinkled over thepyre. Perfumed water was sprinkted to extinguish the fire. After the final rights were over, the Gods carried with them the mortals and the bones to the heaven" THE SECRETS AND SIGNIFICANCE OF BHAGAWAN MAHAVEERA'S PREACHINGS Arihanta Sarvajna Bhagawan Mahaveera's preachings were eternal, away from the limits and fragments of TIME, PLACE, all pervading and all sided. His being the Omniscient, absolute realization, he preached the path and principles of eternal value and eternal significance. The uniqueness, secrets and significance of Mahaveera's preachings may chiefly be listed as under :(1) APRAMADA: The awareness or the absence of carelessness Bhagawan Mahaveera's life and preachings are based on continuous, breakless, choiceless awareness, the awareness of all time throughout. The awareness confines to the constant state of the being, of the Self. This constant awareness may be named as a "YOGA", APRAMAD-YOGA, which is above all types of Yogas and which contains in it all sorts of the Yogas. As Bhagawan had realized the transitoriness and unreliability of life, he had given utmost importance in his preachings to this APRAMADA - YOGA as he says: "As a dew drop remains (hangs) suspended on the tip of a blade of grass just for a very short while (and then drops down), even so the life of men (in this world is short). Oh Gautama! Do not be careless even for a moment". (2) ANEKANTVADA OR SYADVADA: Bhagawan Mahaveera has prescribed and preached this very important way of living for truthful and non-violent way of life. According to this, a truth-seeker should, without being prejudiced or one-sided or fragmented, should try to find truth in the integrity, wholeness and all-sidedness for a particular aspect or problem. Only after considering others' and all points of views only, the absolute and total truth could be found and decided. This sort of open, unprejudiced, impartial point of view based on "ANKANTAVADA" is very significant secret of Bhagawan Mahaveera's preachings, not only for one person but for the whole world! If this principle and preaching is sincerely followed, most of the problems (personal as well as universal) could easily be solved. But is it not a pity that the present-day followers of even Bhagawan Mahaveera, particularly "the monopolized persons" have conveniently forgotten or neglected this very important preaching? Is it not true that by this negligence they have brought the today's sad state of affair of Jainism full of fragments and quarrels itself in the name of Bhagawan Mahaveera - the very preceptor and promoter of Anekantavada and peace? (3) "NISCHAYA" -The internal. introward plane: from the seeker's or individual's aspect : Bhagawan Mahaveera, applying, here also the Syadvada point of view, stresses the balance of "Nischaya" (philosophical aspect) and "Vyavahara" (Practical aspect) in religion as well as in life. The first aspect may be applied in another way also and that is the seeker's or individual's aspect, coming from the Internal plane. This is also unique and significant contribution of Bhagawan Mahaveera's preachings. It's other side is..... (4) "VYAVAHARA" - the external, extroward plane : From the social aspect :

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