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श्रमण/अक्टूबर-दिसम्बर/ १९९६
VII. SELF RELIANT AND INDEPENDENT
A person can be totally self-reliant only when he is dependent on his self. The self reliance of Lord Mahāvīra was remarkable and unparalleled. Even when he was subject to innumerable and actute ordeals during his days of spiritual practices, he did not take refuge any where, but was constantly in the company of his own self. He declined the offers of the celestial beings who offered to serve him. An illustration of the first hardship that he overcame is as follows:
The day Lord Mahāvīra renounced the world a shephered hit him with a sling. At that time, Indra, the king of gods appeared before Lord Mahāvīra and requested to allow him to be at his service and guard him against all afflictions to be caused in 12.5 years by demons, animals and uncivilized human beings. Lord Mahāvīra declining his services said, "Oh Indra! All the Tīrthankaras and omniscients destroyed their heap of karmas by themselves. Every soul has to destroy all the karmas to attain enlightenment and nobody can share his work-load and bear the fruits of his karmas. If you remain with me people will be scared by you and I will not be able to destroy the Karmas resulting from their actions. Hence no Arhata takes the assistance of any celestial being to destroy the heap of karmas. They depend upon their potential to destroy the karmas to become liberated".
If anybody offered any help, he did not condemn them. He neither expected any external aid nor did he desire it, but was always engrossed in meditation. If some one realized his divine nature and helped him, he did not bless him and on the contrary if someone harmed him, he never cursed that person. Lord Mahāvīra was totally independent and was able to become the master of all beings. A person who takes refuge in his self alone can become the master. A person who is attracted and engrossed in enjoying the sense pleasures is dependant on them for happiness and so he cannot become a master but remains a slave to them. Many a times Lord Mahāvīra never got the kind of food that a monk could take, still he remained
calm and undisturbed. Once when Sangama (a celestial being) Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only
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