Non Violence A Way Of Life

Author(s): Kumarpal Desai
Publisher: Jaibhikkhu Sahitya Trust

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conquered the pulls of attachment and aversion, and so he is also known as Jina. The followers of Jina are Jainas.
Let us examine Lord Mahavir's concept of a nirgrantha monk, (a monk free from all ties) of his Shasana (dispensation). This monk must have a free mind replete with noble thoughts. He must be constantly observing the vow of ahimsa. He should not experience any of the complexes of samsara, complexes of mind, having their source in personal relationship or in ideas of the egoistical self. He should not idle away a single moment. For food, clothing and shelter, man feels himself obliged towards a number of people in the Samsara. A nirgrantha monk is free from this dependence. As he always journeys on foot, he does not need a chariot, a cart or a horse. As he does not wear shoes on his feet, he has not to search for a shoe-maker. As he himself tears his hair, he does not need a hairdresser. His life is independent and free. He considers the difficult path to be a comforting one. The monk has only one aim before him. Explaining this aim Bhagwan Mahavir says: "How many obstacles an elephant leading an army in a battle suffers! How many wounds he suffers! Still he goes on. In the same way the monk progresses. The elephant does not care about being bound, cut to pieces or killed. His mind is fixed on the aim. Similarly the monk does not care about
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anything but proceeds on and on in the life of austerity."
Bhagwan Mahavir's style of sermonizing was jnata style. It was a simple but poignant style explaining his point of view allegorically.
Once during his monsoon sojourn in Rajgraha he told this story:
People often keep animals to provide for their days of fasting. Take the example of the lamb who is pampered and fed so well by the master that he becomes fat as a pig. It believes that it is extremely happy. It eats, drinks and makes merry, while other lambs wander in search of food and die of hunger.
Meanwhile a guest comes to its master's house. Its master takes the healthy and stout lamb and kills it. He cuts it into pieces and makes a tasty dish. The lamb now feels sorry the guest ever came."
Bhagwan Mahavir tells us this story to make us meditate on the true nature of life. The guest is none other than old age which visits everyone. The knife is the knief of death which kills everyone.
But it is the duty of man to wake up in time before old age and finally death overtakes him.
Mahavir gave his sermon in Ardhamagadhi, the language of the laity or the lay-man. His last monsoon
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