Book Title: Prabuddha Jivan 2016 07
Author(s): Sejal Shah
Publisher: Mumbai Jain Yuvak Sangh

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Page 38
________________ 38 PRABUDDH JEEVAN JULY 2016 "The immortal facts of life". The relevance lies in the dwelled towards his wife and a new born son. How message of the story; the path it divulges. All these could he just ignore their presence and his stories tell us Buddha's teachings. What were the responsibilities towards them? Finally, after a lot of skirmishes of his thoughts, questions? Which exertions scuffles with this heart and mind, he took a bold step. he surpassed to open up the blissful aura of happiness! One night under the darkness of moon and stars, he As a child, one day Siddhartha went with his father tendered goodbye to his wife and son in to the fields to enjoy the spring planting festival. He clandestineness, without letting them know. Siddhartha was delighted with the sight of celebration and dancing left his palace in search of 'core values of life and festivity all around. But at the same time, he glanced directed himself to wander into the forest to seek on the insects in and around the ground and its eggs. enlightenment. As the farmers ploughed the ground to plant the seeds, Being born as a Hindu, he undertook 'Hindu' ways the insects, their families and homes were destroyed. of meditation. He followed the techniques profound by This facet of life evoked him and disturbed him to core. Hindu masters to seek enlightenment and aptitude As guided by his instincts, he sat below the tree in the knowledge. But he was not satisfied with it and his soul meditation posture and stayed calm, quiet and still. He and mind still kept wandering. He deviated his approach sensed a gust of pure joy. This joy was his great insight. of contemplation towards Jain' teachings, like being It is said that four important episodes that ascetic life, afflicting the body standing on one leg for Siddhartha visualized in his late 20'made him change days and not eating anything. Some stories revealed his path of life. One day Siddhartha's divine soul that Siddhartha at one point ate only 1 grain of rice and instigated him to go around and visit the surrounding 1 drop of water a day. town. He urged to see the world outside the walls of Jainism and Hinduism had its own ways of his magnificent palace. Hearing this wish, the king techniques for salvation. But both eloped extremes of ordered to sweep off all the ugly and painful sight and each other. To some extend Siddhartha was persuaded decorate the town. But these precautions went in vain. by Jain ways of rumination and path to enlightenment. He ultimately was confronted with the realities of human He preached his teachings to many and people also frailty. On his way, Siddhartha saw an old crippled man. expressed conviction to his wisdomand started Abound by the walls of palace Siddhartha was unaware following his path of illumination. Siddharthacontinued of this factious depiction of life. He asked his chariot practicing Jain rituals, practiced all that was needed to why was that man such. Being answered, he learnt eliminate everything that was human, every bit of anger, that everyone who takes this worldly birth has to befall every bit of desire, with the force of determination, in aging. Staggered by this uncertainty of life which he order to attain enlightenment. He did everything to the had never faced, his inquisitiveness engaged him into extremes. But became withered and weak, so much recurrent tours of surroundings beyond the palace so that he couldn't meditate or do the other spiritual walls. During these encounters, he came across an practices of the tradition. This bothered him that in spite incurable sick man going through pain and sufferings of giving all attention to his body and taking it to the and a funeral procession. And finally, he saw an ascetic extremity for years, he was not getting the answer to -a sage, with no home and dressed in rags. Sidhartha the question he was searching for. He was on the urge noticed that though this sage had no substantial eases, of death - dying and unawaken but he could not see his face and disposition towards life was filled with the insight of enlightenment. The insight of Joy that he benevolence, serenity, and joy. Siddhartha was taken experienced once as a child meditating below the tree aback by these sights and his thoughts again took off on the field. He thought that he cannot sustain that kind a jaunt with questions and dilemma. of joy if he is starving. He believed that empathy starts Siddhartha for the first time apprehended that even with the self. If he kills his feelings through rigorous the best of life has to come to an end and face fasting and torturing his body, what he would find within sufferings. He wondered and so decided that he would himself would simply be just dead energy. And if that rather be happy like the sage who in the midst of would be the case, how could he feel for other's pain sickness, old age and death could still live a life of and compassion? As his concentration and focus would compassion, peacefulness and joy. But again, his heart be on his materialistic persona and body.

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