Revision as of 07:51, 18 April 2019

The truth

Quest To Find The Truth

Sudhamahi Regunathan, Mahavira’s Quest To Find The Truth, March 29, 2018: The Times of India

At every step of his travels over 12 years, Sraman Vardhamana learnt a new lesson. There are unbelievable records of how he hardly ate, how he fasted for long periods, how his focus was only on finding answers. As he moved about in search of answers, his loin cloth, the only garment he was wearing, fell off sometime, somewhere and he did not even notice. He went about without any clothes, thereafter leading to a major contention that to achieve kaivalya one requires nudity.

Doing without

The process that Sraman Vardhamana followed was logical. He let one factor after another drop to see what affects free will. Circumstances, need, sense of shame, hunger and sleep are among the major factors that make us behave as we do. It is impossible to live without any of the above. And yet the idea was not to understand how to live without them but how to live best using these impulses ... how to channelise the emotions they provoke to the benefit of the self and everyone around.

Once an astrologer called Pusya saw his footprints by the Ganges and was struck by them. “These are footprints of an emperor,” he observed and followed them. It turned out to be a monk. “I am an emperor,” Mahavira is said to have replied. A chakravartin is so called because of the chakra, a miraculous drill and an umbrella in his possession. Sraman Mahavira’s chakra was his wheel of dhar ma. “Conduct is my regal umbrella and has the virtue capable of protecting entire humanity. Moral awareness is that miraculous drill which ripens a seed as soon as it is sown.”

No distractions

A veena player was about to commence his programme when Vardhamana walked by.

He was invited to the performance. The monk passed on as though he had not heard. Similar was his reaction to an evening of drama. Vardhamana knew a little distraction could completely throw him off. He was still trying to focus and had to keep a rather serious and no-nonsense approach to draw a truly objective conclusion.

So Vardhamana did not build an amiable image of himself. His body exposed to dust and heat and uncovered, did not get very positive attention. His penance was difficult to understand. Was he a madman or was he a realised soul? The question posed itself repeatedly to those who saw him.

Sraman Vardhamana was not aware of the reaction he was inviting. If dogs barked at him and people insulted him, Vardhamana saw in it a chance to test his tolerance. He also saw it as the dharma of the dog to bark ... he believed one should let the other living being practise its dharma without hinderance from others.

Truth is relative

He was still trying to figure out why a man would be mean to another man. How is it that we do not respect life wherever it is found?

In these thoughts the philosophy of anekanta, or the relativity of truth, began to unfold.

Teachings

Ahimsa

Acharya Lokeshmuni, Mahavira And His Teachings Of Ahimsa, April 17, 2019: The Times of India

Mahavir Jayanti is one of the most significant festivals of Jainism. It is observed to commemorate the birth of Mahavira, the 24th and last Jain tirthankara. A tirthankara is an enlightened soul who is born as a human being and attains perfection through intense meditation.

The teachings of Parshvanatha left an indelible impression on the young Vardhamana’s mind. When he was 28, his parents passed away and his elder brother Nandivardhana succeeded their father. Vardhamana craved freedom from worldly attachments and sought his brother’s permission to renounce his royal life. At the age of 30, he finally left home and embraced the ascetic life of a monk and later came to be known as Mahavira.

Mahavira spent the next twelve and a half years pursuing a life of hard penance to free himself completely of his basic attachments. He practised complete silence and rigorous meditation to overcome his basic desires. Ahimsa became an integral part of his spiritual life. He assumed a calm and peaceful demeanour and sought to overcome emotions like anger. He is the most compassionate one and willingly accepted hardships to burn his karmas.

Many incidents and stories reveal the character of Mahavira. Mahavira has said that, “Anger causes degradation of soul.”

A popular story talks about Mahavira and Chandkaushik (a poisonous cobra). On his way to village Vachala, where lived Chandkaushik, Mahavira heard that the people of the village near the forest lived in absolute terror. Mahavira stopped in the forest where Chandkaushik lived and meditated. Feelings of peace, tranquility and concern for the well-being of every living being flowed from Mahavira’s heart.

Chandkaushik, on encountering Mahavira, hissed in anger, but saw no sign of fear and this made him more angry and he blew poisonous venom towards Mahavira three times but still the tirthankara was in meditation posture. Now he was really mad and concentrated all his power and bit his toe. He saw white milk flow out of his toe. Then Mahavira opened his eyes and was so calm and compassionate. He looked at Chandkaushik and said, “Hey Chand, shant ho shant” and requested the cobra to overcome its anger and bitterness and instead, forgive and remain peaceful. Chandkaushik became calm and peacefully retreated back to his hole.

Peace and harmony in society come from the feeling of love and equality of all living beings. This is the concept of Mahavira’s concept of non-violence. The sole motive of Mahavira was to make this world a calm and peaceful place. His main principles were: Live and let live, ahimsa parmo dharma, belief in karma theory and that everyone has ability to become tirthankara. Samyag gyan, samyag darshan and samyag charitra this trio led Lord Mahavira to Kevalya Gyan, the attainment of omniscience, at the age of 42. Lord Mahavira devoted his life towards spreading his principles and Jain dharma among the people and gave discourses in local languages. He attained Moksha at the age of 72 in 527 BC and finally liberated from the cycle of life, death and rebirth. Lord Mahavira is said to be the founder of Jainism.

“Live and allow others to live; hurt no one; life is dear to all living beings,” said Mahavira.