________________
mind (and psyche or emotion) and the impure conduct make the body dull or gloomy and sick. The purity of mind and conduct purifies the body and makes it healthy and lustrous. Fear and anger bring confusion and misery rather than peace, happiness and fulfilment.
Mahavira himself conquered fear and exhorted us to shed fear. He preached what he experienced after subjecting himself to rigorous austerities and selfdiscipline. He did many experiments on fearlessness and friendliness. He chose the path full of thorns and pebbles. Immediately after leaving his palace of kingdom, he went all alone almost naked and silent plunged into the jungle full of beasts of all kinds, where he remained oblivious to food, people and elements. He lived in rains as also burning Sun. He never wore any covering whatsoever. He lived in barbarians and savage tribes. He was struck with stick, or with fist or with lance-head or with slaps or with earth-cold or with potsherd. They would cry with joy while striking him once and again. People, throwing him up, made him fall down, pushed him out of his position. Abandoning his body, and completely dedicated to the inner world, he endured all sorts of mistreatments with great fortitude, without any pre-made resolve. He lived in dreary and dilapidated buildings rumoured to be haunted by demons and ghosts. Fear never touched him. Like an armoured hero at the head of the battle, Mahavira was armoured with self-restraint. He tolerated all hardships, remaining unmoved from meditation and continued his travels. He shut off all five senses and sensations pouring in through the sensory nerves and conquered inner enemies such as ego, pride, anger and delusion. The struggles of the
126
