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९६ : श्रमण / अक्टूबर-दिसम्बर /१९९५
by demi-god, while in Kayotsarga Mahavira lost alertness and slept for a muhurta.
Places of Residences
Though Mahavira would choose a secluded place31 for meditation yet he lived in all sorts of places, such as work-house (like potter's lodge, etc.), assembly houses, shops, factories or under a shed of straw32. He sometimes used to stay in inns, in villages and towns, sometimes in cremation grounds, in deserted houses or under the trees. What is noteworthy, is that he used to live cheerfully in these diverse lodges and his practice of meditation remained unobstructed.
Abandonment of Vitiated food, Tasty food, Practice of fasting and Dietary control
Mahavira always refused such foods as prepared for the monks. He was devoid of any ardent longing for delicacies. He would not care whether or not his meal included cooked savoury, vegetables, whether he got cold rice, or stale bean soup, whether his meals consisted of vapid stuff like powdered gram or only grams, whether or not he got any food at all. He did not even think of any particular kind of food. Fully aware of the sinfulness, vitiating the alms that he received, he would never accept vitiated food.
As control of diet and fasting was significant part of his Sadhana, he would take meals after either two or three or even five days. Mahavira lived on three grains for eight months. He would go without water either for half a month or for whole of a month at a stretch or sometimes for over two months or as long as for six months. He would not bother about type of meal or total non-availability of meal. He would eat alms with complete control of his pas
sions.
Beclaiming all his passions, abandoning all kinds of attachments, lulling all kinds of infatuations with sound or forma always exerting himself in self-discipline, he never slackened for a moment.
Achieving through complete self-purifcation, discipline of mind, body and speech he became completely calm and poised. Practised with simplicity of heart. Through entire period of Sadhana he remained equipoised and tran
quil.
He followed without any reservation the aforementioned code of con
duct and attained omniscience or Kevala Jñāna. Jain Education International
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