Book Title: Miracle is You
Author(s): Chitrabhanu
Publisher: Jain Meditation International Centre

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Page 23
________________ "THE TEACHINGS OF MAHAVIRA" Friends, I am very happy to be with all of you to share some experiences and insights of the great teachers of Jainism. Like other world teachers who have enriched mankind with their insights, thoughts, and lives, they showed that we are rich if we have richness in our awareness and we are poor if we don't have insight into this living life. Jainism is a religion of reverence for life, a religion that does not emphasize dogma or rituals. It does not rely on any outside forces. It is an internal investigation and search Let us look at the word Jain. It comes from the sanskrit verb ji which means to conquer; one who has conquered himself or herself is known as a Jina. A jina has nothing to win and nothing to lose; he is the conqueror, inside and outside. Jina means one who has reached inner harmony, inner richness, where there is no conflict. The followers of a Jina are known as Jainas, and the philosophy which teaches how to bring an end to the fighting, how to create harmony and enrich oneself with the beauty of inner awareness is Jainism. According to the Jain tradition, the first man who found the inner peace, inner balance and reached the fullness of life is known as Adinath. This too is a sanskrit word-Adi and nath. Adi means the beginning and nath means lord. The Lord of the 18

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