PRECEPTS OF MAHAVIRA
1.The Practice of Religion
Religion is the highest bliss;mit is made up of
abstinence from injury (to living beings), self-restraint and penance.
Even gods bow down to him who has his mind always firm in religion.
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From the root grows up the trun.k of the tree, from the
trunk shoot up the branches, out of them grow the twigs and the leaves;
and then there are produced flowers, fruits and juice. Similarly,
obedience is the root of the tree of religion and the Liberation is the
highest resultant (viz. the juice). It is by obedience that one gets
quickly and completely renown and learning.
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While old age has not begun to ail, or disease has not
grown, or senses have not failed, one should practise religion.
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Whatever day passes never comes
back, in the case of a man practising irreligion, the days pass without
bringing any fruit (i.e. benefits) to him.
Whatever day passes never comes
back; in the case of a man practising religion, the days pass bearing much
fruit to him.
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In the case of living 1^eings
carried away on by the rapid current of old age and death, it is religion
that stands as island, firm ground, refuge as well as the best shelter.
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This is the unchangeable,
eternal and permanent religion expounded by the ,linas. By means of this,
the enlightened have reached perfection; others also Will reach perfection
by it
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(2) The Value of Self-Control
The body is said to be the boat
and the soul is said to be the sailor. The Samsara, i.e. the worldly
existence, is said to be the ocean which is crossed only by great sages.
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One must always guard one's
soul from all evil, by having a31 the sense-organs properly,. controlled.
In case the soul is not. well-guarded; it takes` to the path leading' to
birth and, death; while if well-controlled, it becomes free from all
worldly sorrows. and misery.
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The Self alone should be
subdued; for it is very difficult to` subdue it;he who has subdued his
Self becomes happy in this. world as well as in the next.
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It is better , that I myself
should subduemy my Self-control and austerities, .than be subdued by,
others with fetters, rather corporaa punishment
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My, own Self is the river
Vaitarani(i.e. river irr hell with bitingly cold water); my own Self is
the Kutashalmati tree (i.e. a tree in hell with sharp leaves); my own Self
is the Kamadhenu, (i.e. the desire-yielding cow); and my own:, Self is the
park Nandana (i.e. paradise).
My own Self is the doer and
un-doer of misery and happiness in this world; my own Self is my (best)
friend or (worst) enemy, depending on whether it acts well or badly.
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A man may conquer thousands and
thousands of invincible foes (but that is of no real consequence) ; his
greatest victory is when he conquers only his own Self.
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Fight with your (own) Self ;
what is the good of fighting the external foes ? By conquering one's Self
by means of one's own Self, one obtains true happiness.
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The five senses, and (the four
passions, viz.)- auger, pride, deception and greed, are all difficult to
'conquer ; equally difficult it is to conquer one's own Self. But one who
has conquered his Self, has conquered everything else in the world.
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Having committed a wrong
(or sin) knowingly,
or unknowingly, one should immediately revoke it, and should never repeat
it a second time.
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The gods,, the demons, the
Gandharvas, the Yakshas,the Rakshasas and the Kinnaras-all bow down to a
chaste monk who observes the difficult Self-Control.
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A man might give by way of
charity, thousands of thousands of cows every month ; but far better than
him will be the man who may give nothing in charity, but only observes
perfect Self -Control.
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Self-control is untasteful like
eating a morsel of sand. And to practise life-long penance is as difficult
as to walk on the edge of a sword.
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In this world nothing is really
difficult for one who is free from desires.
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