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DR. BOOL CHAND
Mahavira left the world, realised the truth, and came back to the world to preach it. There was immediate response from the people and he got disciples and followers. Eleven learned Brahmins were the first to accept his discipleship and became ascetics. They were the heads of ganas of ascetics, and as such were called ganadharas. They remained faithful to their tcacher throughout their lives. Indrabhūti Gautama was the eldest disciplc of Mahavira. He was very fond of his Master, and had numerous intersting dialogues with him. Mahavira was noyer tired of answering ques. tions and problems of various types, scientific, ethical, metaphysical, and religious. He had brond outlook and scientific accuracy. His answers were norcr vogue or mystifying. He had firm conviction and resolute will. His tolerance was infinitc. He would never surrender a single point in argument about spiritual conviction and ethical conduct Right conduct is conduct according to right conviction Right conviction is conviction based on spiritual realisation. A man of right conviction and right conduct has fear from nonc and tolemnce for all. Mahävira always surrendered his body, but never his spirit. Retention of the spirit demands surrender of the body. Suffering and penance are the conditions of freedom. Mabāvíra was a cold Tcalist. He had not faith in warm idealism He had immense faith in human nature, but he always insisted on vigilance against indolence, physical, moral and spiritual He is reported to have once exhorted his favourite disciple Indrabhuti Gautama to always retain strenuousness in the following words ; ' You have well nigh crossed the great ocean Why do you loiter on the Bhore ? Make haste to pass on the other side. Do not be indolent, O Gautama, for a single moment' Inward strenuousness and affirmation of spirit is sometimes associated with outward passivity and negation of life. This is not ununderstandable. Life is an evil 80 long as it is rooted in desires, Negation of life rooted in desires is not an unsocial act It 18 but reinstatement of the society in harmony with the laws of the spirit. It is self-contradiction on the surface for the sake of self-realisation in the depth. In this sense, individualism is not incompatible with social progress. Mabi. vira was never indifferent to the well-being of his Sangha. He worked strenuously for it and took interest in the minutest details of the osganidation. One is amazed to find in him this rare combination of absolute negation of desires and immense interest in action Mahāvira was neither a
delicate mystic' nor an' energetic prophet'. He was a thoroughgoing rationalist who would base his action on his conviction, unmindful of the context of established custom or inherited tradition. This is the keynote of the personality of Lord Mahävira.
