________________
DISCOURSE 12
207
EVEN A NON-JAIN MAGICIAN SUGGESTS NAVAKAR MANTRA AS AN ANODYNE FOR AILMENTS
There is a Jain young man. His health was upset once. He went to doctors and Hakims and took the prescribed treatment but he did not get better. His condition continued to worsen day by day. Someone gave him this advice, “Probably, your illhealth is caused by the evil influence of some wicked deity, please consult some magician”. In that city there was a magician who was not a Jain. He was rendering service to people without any selfish motive. The young man met the magician. The magician observed the young man and heard whatever he said. Then, the magician said, “You are a Jain; are you not? Have you not heard of the great Navakar Mantra of the Jain Dharma ? Do you not know the mantra ? You recite the Mahamantra 1000 times, every day you will be perfectly all right."
What did the young man say? He knew the Navakar Mantra. He also used to turn the garland reciting the Navakar Mantra but he was not aware of the efficacy of the Mahamantra. When he heard a non-Jain scholar, talk about the efficacy of the Navakar Mantra, a great faith appeared in his mind; and a great confidence arose in his mind. He began the recitation of the Mahamantra according to the prescriptions and as a consequence of this, within a few days, he recovered his health. You know the efficacy of machines. But you are not aware of the efficacy of mantras. Therefore, eventhough the spring of infinite power is surging out near you; you go wandering in search of remedies and results. You get meaningless rituals performed by quacks and magicians and God only knows what other methods to which you take recourse in order to get rid of your ailments. FAITH IS ALWAYS BLIND AND UNQUESTIONING
This magnificent, mysterious and mystical mantra comprises 68 words; and each word is an inexhaustible treasurehouse of divine potentialities. When every word can save you from the tortures of hell, why can it not save you from the ordinary vicissitudes of the earthly life ? But there is the need
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
