Walk With Me

Author(s): Chandanaji Acharya, Vastupal Parikh
Publisher: Veerayatan

Page 90

Walk With Me
One afternoon I was alone with Mahavir. I asked, "Bhagwan, I understand that our atma is trapped in this 'samsara' and our goal is to liberate it from this painful cycle of birth and death. You have already achieved that hard-won goal. Why then do you still work so hard? Are there new goals to meet?"
Mahavir replied, “Gautam, the focus of my sadhana was 'atnagyan' (knowledge of the Self). As a result, I am completely at peace with myself. However, personal peace and atmagyan should not be the ultimate goals of sadhana. These are simply the means to achieve a much larger goal -- to alleviate the misery of all living beings. This samsara is Any sadhana that does not painful. Every living being is in sensitize us to the pain and pain and suffering. We can feel suffering of other living beings
their pain only if we are sensitive is only a meaningless ritual. Such sadhana may bring gyan enough. Is it not selfish for us to (knowledge) and liberation,
have personal liberation or but will not serve the larger goal of common good.
happiness as our ultimate goal? While self-liberation should be the focus of our sadhana, its goal should be to alleviate pain and suffering of all living beings. Devoting my life to freeing every living being from fear (abhayndan) and ignorance (gyandan) is my greatest hope. It is the ultimate goal of my sadhana. Any sadhana that does not sensitize us to the pain and suffering of other living beings is only a meaningless ritual. Such sadhana may bring gyan (knowledge) and liberation, but will not serve the larger goal of common good."
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