IV. PRECEPTS OF MAHAVIRA

Dr. V.A.Sangave

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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