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EVERWAKEFULNESS
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'Who is the author of pain ?' 'Indolence' 'Who terminates pain ?' 'Individual self' 'By what means is this pain eradicated ?' 'By eternal vigilance '?
The Lord thus revealed a great truth He proclaimed that fear and pain are not everlasting Lax vigilance or indolence is the moment of experiencing fear and this is the moment of experiencing pain
Kamdeo was practising meditation and moral wakefulness It was not yet mid-night He was suddenly confronted with a demon's figure Said the demon, 'Kamdeo! Abandon the affectation of meditation and moral vigilance Else I will behead you with this sword'
Kamdeo was living the moment of moral awareness He neither experienced fear nor terror and pain
The demon realised the fiasco that his nefarious efforts met He felt resented Then he assumed the shape of a mammoth elephant to terrify him He threw the aspirant high up the sky like a ball When he fell flat on the ground the elephant trampled him with his feet And still his meditation was unbroken,
The demon was fully wild now He adopted a fierce serpentine form He stung Kamdeo repeatedly But the latter was unperturbed Ultimately he was forced to appear in his original demi-divine shape and quit Moral indolence had to submit to the moral wakefulness 3
Lord Mahavira came to Champa S Kamdeo called on the Lord Said the Lord, 'Kamdeol You spent the last night in eternal wakefulness'
'I did, sirel' 'Attempts were made to distract you'
1 2 3
'Thanam', 3/336 Uvasgadsao', 2/18-40 Eighteenth year of tirthankarhood
