Book Title: Mahavira Life and Philosophy
Author(s): Sumeruchand Diwakar Shastri
Publisher: Jain Mitra Mandal

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Page 34
________________ 12 love towards all living beings, honesty, non-stealing, complete continence (brahmacharya) although he was already a staunch celibate, and Aparigraha (possession-lessness), sleeping on the ground, taking meals in the palm of his hands in the standing posture once during day-time only. He was looking towards all, a friend or a foe, with equanimity. He was very keen and cautious that his mental equilibrium may not be disturbed by attachment, aversion, delusion, conceit, greed, anger and other internal pollutions. Outwardly whep deeply immersed in meditation it appeared that monk Mahavira was inactive and was doing nothing, but in reality he was performing the most arduous and risky duty of a valiant spiritual-soldier. He was waging a war against the hordes of terrible karmas, commanded by the world-victor Mobaniya Karma, which stupefies the soul. Attachment and vanity bring a fall of the inner man. Passions, anger, pride, deceit, greed and evil thoughts have been dethroning the soul from its innate glory of God-hood. When the spiritual aspirant tries for concentration of mind to develop his inner-self, the forces of evil assail the mind and cause distraction. Poet Ravindranath Tagore in bis memorable lectures delivered in America had remarked "In this material world with the help of science man is turning the forces of Dature into obedience, but in the moral world he has a harder task to accomplish. He has to turn his own passions and desires from tyranny into obedience" (Personality P. 90).

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