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aside his movements in deserted localities, he gathers around himself a multitude of people, and under the pretext of religious sermons, he is trying to increase his income. From all these circumstances, it seems that his mind is deranged
he
Ārdraka Muni:-O good man! This saying or yours is prompted by envy. Really speaking, you have not understood the real nature of the ascetic life of the Venerable Bhagavāna, and hence, you see a distinction between his present and previous practices. It is due to a lack of your understanding his real nature There is nothing hostile between the previous condition of his moving about in deserted localities, and the present state of giving sermons in the midst of a number of sadhus. Before the acquisition of Kévala Jnāna (Perfect Knowledge), Śramaṇa Bhagavana Mahavira was not only moving about in deserted localities but was also observing a VOW of silence ( mauna vrata ) and his previous practice was in perfect consonance with the rigid life of devout austerity. But now, he is a Sarvajna (omniscient) and Sarvadarsi (all-seeing). His bondage of raga (love and dvésa (hatred) has been totally removed. Now, the chief conception of his heart is the firm resolution of doing the welfare of the world. The preaching of religious sermons by any person desirous of doing the welfare of all the liv ing beings of the world in an assembly of thousands of persons, is an unique motive in itself For a vitaraga (one who is perfectly free from the bondage of love and hatred), there should be no distinction between a locality totally deserted and one thickly populated An assembly or a mutitude cannot stain a spotless soul. The Preaching of religious sermons is one of the chief duties of a religious preceptor There is not the slightest wrong in preaching sermons with faultless speech on the part of a person who is compassionate, who is self controlled and one whose mind is absorbed in devout meditation The person who preaches the taking of the Five Great Vows of an ascetic, who recommends the adoption of the Five Lesser Vows of a house-holder, who critically explains which of the five aśrava sthānas (channels of in-flow of Karmas) are to be avoided and which of the Sam48
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