________________
SPIRITUAL PURSUIT OUTSIDE THE ORDER
-
133
pursuants chose to stay in it Some votarjes of other religions challenged the order
The Lord's monks were once coming with some begged food A hermit questioned them thus
'Who are you?' 'We are sadhus' 'What do you carry in the utensil ?' 'It's food'
'If you collect food how do you justify the name of a sadhu? A sadhu should subsist on whatever he gets Why carry utensils full of meals?'
'We don't accumulate food-articles However, we require this food that we carry for an ailing sadhu'
''When you carry meals for others, you certainly are not sadhus It's an act allowed to a householder not to a sadhu
'It's attachment'
'No It's no attachment, it's service It bears the stamp of Lord Mahavira If one aspirant helps another, it is least objectionable How do you call it an act fit for a householder?'
Remaining within the order and still helping one another were not beyond dispute during those days But in Lord Mahavira's view, it never detracted from the value of the spiritual pursuit within the order However, he would not hold the free pursuit anytheless significant The Lord held an unambiguous view in respect of the two modes of spiritual life Said he
An aspirant in need of co-operation may pursue his goal in the order One who has the capacity to go it alone along the spiritual path may do so A competent associate ought to keep company with a pursuant of nobler or equivalent character but not with one deficient in character If there be no competent associate available it is incumbent on him to tread his
path by himself 1 1 'Uttarajjhayani,3215
