Non Violence A Way Of Life

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

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attachemnt for Bhagwan's physical self. My worship was physical rather than spiritual. That is why he kept me away at the time of nirvana with a view to teaching me that austerity for surpasses all attachment or narrow love."
Thus for every soul Bhagwan Mahavir brought the message of eternal happiness. This is what he did more than 2589 years ago. But the message still purifies the world.
Let us realize the importance of the revolution that he effected before we move on to a consideration of the message of Bhagwan Mahavir. He made scriptures accessible to the masses. In those days religion was discussed only in Sanskrit, the language of gods. The masses could not understand it and this was considered to be the mark of its greatness. Knowledge which could be understood by the laymen was considered to be ordinary and vidya which could not be understood was considered to be great. This mistaken idea prevailed everywhere. It was considered to be bad thing to discuss religion.
Mahavir's preachings were understood by all and opened for all the door to the salvation of the soul.
In order to give freedom to women Lord Mahavir made two great reforms; he recognized brahmacharya (celebacy) as a vow and he said that if a woman gets
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initiated as a nun, she can became free from all bondage. He discarded the importance of gender and castes and established the importance of good conduct. कम्मुणा बंभणो होइ, कम्मुणा होइ खत्तिओ I वइसो कम्णा होइ सुद्दों होइ कम्गुणा ।।
(One is born a Brahmin, a Kshatriya, a Vaishya or a Shoodra according to one's karma.) Thus he led stoodras out of the darkness of slavery and lifted them up from beastliness to godliness. He said that a man or woman of any caste could practise religion. In fact he said that a monk should not be at all conceited. regarding his appearance, caste, knowledge, penance, and celibacy. This was Bhagwan Mahavir's great social revolution. He changed the whole situation. This true insight given from the depth of his soul made a permanent impact on the society. Bhagwan Mahavir fearlessly and firmly expressed his thoughts and liberated people from the bonds of a certain class of people, from the practice of violence and mental slavery. He led the society out of the bonds of the caste system. He completely revolutionised the concept of the high and the low. He revolted against the convention which laid down that woman should be under her father's protection in childhood, under her husband's protection in youth and under her son's protection in old age. Now onwards, the distinctions of caste or gender shall not obstruct the development of the soul. Under the aspect of the soul, all are equal.
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