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202
SHRAMAN MAHAVIR
"How is it so, sire?'
'One who can discriminate between the self and the body can succeed in his pursuit in the village as well as in the jungle One who cannot discern the one from the other cannot succeed in the village as well as in the jungle.'
An aspirant ignorant of the self finds the question of whether to practise in the village or in the jungle germane to the issue One devoted to one's self ever resides in the domain of the self. To him the issue of staying in the village or in the jungle is immaterial it is a valid plea-- If you are devoted to the self what would you gain by shifting to the jungle? If you ignore the self what would you gain by shifting to the jungle?' It is valid under all circumstancesa 2. Saumil was Brahmin by caste He subscribed to the Vedic faith and was a versatile scholar He lived at Vanijyagram The Lord visited the village He stayed at the Dwipalash temple Saumil visited the Lord He greeted him and asked, 'Sirel You are one or two?'
'I am one as well as two' "How is it possible, sir?'
'From the view-point of conscious element I am one From the view point of knowledge and wisdom I am two'
'Sır! You are perennial or changing ?
'From the angle of transcendental consciousness I am perennial From the temporal angle I am changing What I was I am not and what I am I shall not be ? 3. The Lord stayed at the Chandravataran Chaitya at kaushambi 3 Jayantı, the sister of king Shatanık arrived there she greeted the Lord and asked.
'Sirel is sleep preferable to waking or otherwise ?'
'Some individuals were better asleep, others were better awake'
1 'Ayaro', 8/14 2 'Bhagwai', 18/219, 220 3 Third year of tirthankarhood
