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THE PROTECTIVE SHIELD OF MEDITATION
57
THE CONQUEST OF HUNGER
Lord Mahavira is signified by his prolonged austerities He did penances for fairly long durations For twelve and a half year plus a fortnight he practised austerities A regular table of his austerities has been drawn • Two days' fast
12 times * Three days' fast
229 times • A fortnight's fast
72 times * One month's fast
12 times • A month and a half's fast
Twice * Two months' fast
6 times • Two and a half month's fast
Twice * Three months' fast
Twice * Four months' fast
9 times * Five months and twenty-five days' fast
Once Six months' fast
Once * Bhadrapratima two fasts
Once. * Mahabhadrapratima four fasts
Once * Sarvatobhadrapratima ten fasts
Once During this spiritual practice of twelve and a half year he observed fast during 350 days in all and the eating never included consecutive days He never took water during his fast and never observed less than two days fast at a time 1
'The Lord's austerities included the twin practices of fasting and meditation We have drawn an image of the Lord in his fasting aspect only and ignored to visualise his meditative aspect That's why-the masses remember him more as one devoted to ceaseless austerities than one absorbed in meditation'
'When the Lord was so deeply absorbed into himself what necessitated observing prolonged fasts?'
'There were two contemporary schools of thought Some of the philosophers held body and consciousness to be inseparable, while others held the two to be different entities
1
'Awashyakniyuktı' Dipika letter 107, 108
