The Jain 1992 04 Special Issue

Author(s): Natubhai Shah, Vinod Kapashi
Publisher: UK Jain Samaj Europe

Page 13

=jain
If ever he wandered into the villages in the tribal areas, the people set their dogs on him, and some flung mud on him, but he remained ever serene.
In order to improve the conditions of slaves and women, he decided to take food only from a princess, who was sold as a slave, who was hungry for 3 days, whose hair was chopped off, who was chained, who had one foot inside the door and one outside, and who had tears in her eyes.
People, officials, ministers, king, queen, - all wanted to give him food, but he would not take it. He was invited to different places, but the conditions of his vows were not fulfilled. After five and a half months of fasting, he took food from Chandanbala, a slave girl, who fulfilled the conditions of his vow.
This incident made people think "If a princess can be sold as a slave, what must be happening to an ordinary person?". It is said that within a few years slavery was reduced and women were respected.
Throughout Mahavira's life as a monk he trained
himself to fast, meditate and endure great hardship so that he became indifferent either to pleasure or pain.
After twelve and a half years when he was in deep meditation at the banks of the Rijuwalika river near Parshvanath hills under a sal tree.
...HE WAS ENLIGHTENED.KEVALA JNANA, THE ONLY KNOWLEDGE WHICH IS FULL AND COMPLETE, INFINITE AND SUPREME, BECAME HIS. HE UNDERSTOOD SORROW, THE CAUSE OF SORROW, THE CURE OF SORROW, AND THE PATH WHICH LEADS AWAY FROM SORROW. HE BECAME A JINA.
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