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THE TIRTHA (MORAL ORDER) AND THE TIRTHANKAR
113
The Lord supported Agnibhuti's observation
'Don't you know Agnibhuti that every action is followed by a corresponding reaction?'
'I happen to know it, sire, that an action must have a reaction'
'What else is karma ? It is the reaction of an action Don't you know that every effect is preceded by a cause?'
'I do know, sire'
The phasing of evolution of human potentialities is palpable but the spring behind it that moves it is impalpable
This imperceptible but nonetheless real cause is adrista* and karma,'
The faculty of Agnibhuti was befuddled The very first sight of the Lord bred in him an urge to submit to him as a disciple How can discipleship and polemics go hand in hand? Obviating protracted debates, he attained enlightenment His errand was to retrieve Indrabhuti while his destiny led him to follow in the foot-steps of his brother. He, alongwith his five hundred disciples, sought refuge at the feet of the Lord
The inhabitants of Pawa had been awaiting a different kind of tiding The news of the initiation of Agnibhuti astounded them Vayubhuti also learnt of it He was also at his wit's end. He was more curious about it than resistant. Thought he-what virtue does the chief of shramanas own to overpower my two brothers? It is my firm belief that polemics is my brother's forte. They owe their undoing to the spiritual powers of the shraman chief
Vayubhuti was tempted to see the Lord He came escorted by his 500 disciples to the place where the Lord camped
The Lord addressed himself to the stranger thus . 'Vayubhuti, your dogma that the body and the soul are identical stands to correction Vividly do I see that the body and the soul are not identical The two are different :
'Can it be realised, My Lord ?'
* Invisible moral desen
