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Mokshmala - Lesson-30. Protection of all living beings part-II
good of all living beings. Men may gain excellent acquisitions, beautiful wives, obedient sons following the wishes of their parents, gain large families, gain
honour and fame and positions of high authority and to gain any or all of them is not very difficult but to understand what is true religion and to have indomitable faith in it even to a small extent, is very very difficult.
Those getting acquisitions listed above, by indiscrimination, incur many sins and invite great trouble and tortures for themselves and for others around them, while a little faithful feeling of Jain religion elevates the follower to a very high state of his soul or self. Thus compassion followed, leads the followers to a very blissful state. Since we have been born in the family of followers of Jain Religion, we should lead a pure compassionate life and constantly remember that we have to protect all living beings with the best of our efforts not only this but we should advise others also by all intelligent ways to follow this universally acceptable and beneficial compassion. In the next lesson, I shall tell you the story of very intelligent Abhaykumar who invented a method by which all living beings can feel protected. How fortunate we should consider ourselves if we get an opportunity to teach logically essentials of our Jain Religion to Anaryas or foreigners who are not following compassion from all points of view.
LESSON-30. PROTECTION OF ALL LIVING BEINGS -PART-II
WELL WISHER ABHAYKUMAR
A high king named Shrenik of Rajagrahi city of Magadha country, once was sitting in royal assembly. Occasionally his advisers and highly placed officers who were fond of flesh-eating remarked that accidently at that time prices of flesh had gone very low. This statement was heard by chief Minister Abhaykumar and so he decided to teach a lesson to these advisers and officers fond of flesh-eating. That evening after dispersing the assembly, King Shrenik went to his palace. Then Abhaykumar for his purpose went to each of these advisers and officers who had discussed flesh prices and wherever he went, the adviser or officer concerned asked the reason of his visiting his house to which to each and all, he replied that King Shrenik had caught suddenly a very deadly disease (Maha Roga) and all physicians called for treating the king said that flesh equal to the weight of one and a quarter penny, of the liver of a gentleman would cure the king of his deadly disease. You are favourite of the king so I have come to you for getting the required flesh. Every adviser or officer who heard it replied. "How can I give the required quantity of flesh though very small, from my liver unless I died ? It can be given only after I die and so I am unable to give it for saving king's life." So saying as an alternative, every officer and adviser offered some money for not telling the king about his refusal to give his liver flesh and taking all that, Abhaykumar returned home.
Then next day when the Royal Assembly met, all those who had refused to give the flesh from their liver, came and sat in their proper seats. The King Shrenik also was sitting on his throne and all those advisers and officers inquired about the King's health, hearing which the king was surprised and when he turned to Abhaykumar from whom they heard about the sudden attack of a deadly disease on the king previous night, Abhaykumar replied, O King ! Yesterday your advisers and officers said that flesh was available at very low price in the market; hearing it I had been to their homes for getting it but they gave me money but did not give me required flesh weighing only a penny and a quarter from their liver. Then tell me whether the required flesh was cheap or expensive? Hearing these words of Abhaykumar, all the advisers and officers of the King held their heads low in shame and none could say a word. Then Abhaykumar said - 'I had not arranged this skill to pain you at all but just to teach you a lesson.
