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SPIRITUAL PRACTICES OF LORD MAHAVIRA
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senses, his concerns all moved in one direction of 'the self for selfrealization and emancipation.
The above is a bird's eye view of the spiritual practices of Lord Mahāvīra and the following is a brief description of the various aspects of the spiritual practices that he undertook:I. FOOD
Lord Mahāvīra was not obstinate about his food habits and hence he was called as 'Apadinne'. (3TGIFT) He accepted any kind of food that is acceptable by a monk (17). He had no reservations about the kind of food that was to be acepted or given up. When He felt that he could continue his practices without any distractions he went on fast and when he felt his body required it, He accepted Nirvadya food i.e. food acceptable by a monk. he never gave up food for the sake of giving it up, instead he continued with his penances to serve the purpose of self-contemplation.
During twelve and half long years of vigorous practices, out of 4515 days, he took food only 341 days and on other days he observed complete fast. It is not that during these days he never felt hungry or subsided his hunger, but he was so engrossed in the contemplation of the self that he never experienced hunger and so, various spiritual practicers became natural to him. Fasting was not a ritual; for him as people generally accept it today, but it complimented his search and was an outcome of his spiritual engrossment. He once remained without food and water for six consecutive months. This is quite surprising, for medical experts say that a person can be without food and water for not more than 18 days. But from the extra-ordinary life of Lord Mahāvīra, we understand that man has a greater potential than that is assumed. In the Yoga-Sūtra of Patañjali it is said that the cessation of hunger, thirst takes place in an ascetic by performing his restraint with regard to the well of the thro at (Kamthakūpa) which causes the manifesfation of hunger, thirst etc. Determination, concentration and Absorption-these three together make self-control possible.
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