Bhagwaan Mahaveer in the Eyes of Scholars:

The period between 800 to 200 B.C. has been characterized as an axial period of history. In other words, the axis of world thought shifted from a study of nature to a study of the life of man. In China, Lao Tze and Confucius; in India, the seers of UPANISHADs, Mahaveer and Gautam the Buddha; in Iran, Zoroaster; in Judea, the great prophets; and in Greece, the philosophers Pythagoras, Socrates and Plato; all of them turned their attention from outward nature to the study of human self.

One of these great figures of humanity was Mahaveer. He is called the JIN, the conqueror. He did not conquer kingdoms; but he conquered his own self. He is called Mahaveer, the great hero, not of the battles of the world but of the battles of inward life. By a steady process of austerity, discipline, self-purification and understanding he raised himself to the position of a man who had attained divine status. His example is an incentive to others to pursue the same ideal of self-conquest.

This country (India) has from the beginning of its history down till today stood for this great ideal. When you look at the symbols, statues, and other relics, which have come down to us from the time of Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa down to our own day, we are reminded of the tradition that he who establishes the supremacy of spirit and its superiority to matter is the ideal man. . . .

. . . We are called upon to understand that the soul is not to be confused with the body which can be broken, or the mind which can be molded, but it is something which is superior to the relics of the body or the fluctuations of mind. . . . Unless we are able to realize the inwardness of the human self, the principle of subjectivity, we lose ourselves. Most of us are always lost in the pursuits of the world. We lose ourselves in the things of the world - health, wealth, possessions, houses, property - we let them possess us, we do not possess them. Such people are those who kill their own selves. . . .

So we have been asked to possess the soul. . .

. . . An essential condition of spiritual life is the knowledge of the distinction between the soul and non-soul. There is nothing higher in this world than the possession of one's soul. So it has been said to us by different writers that the true man is he who uses all the possessions of the world for the purpose of realizing the innate dignity of the soul. . . .

In Mahaveer we have an example of a man who renounced the things of the world, who was not entangled in the bonds of matter but who was able to realize the inward dignity of his own self. How can we pursue this ideal? What are the ways by which we can attain this self-realization, this self-possession? . . . (For this) the three great principles were asserted by Mahaveer when he mentioned DARSHAN (perception), JNNAN (knowledge), CHAARITRA (conduct). . . Mere faith, blind unthinking faith, will not do. We must have knowledge.

By reflection we convert the product of faith into a product of enlightenment. But mere theoretical knowledge is not enough. We cannot get life eternal by mere textual learning. We must embody these principles in our own life; conduct is equally essential. . . .

The world today is in the throes of a new birth. While we aim at one world, divisions rather than unity characterizes our age. In a two-world pattern there is a temptation for many of us to think that this is right and that this is wrong and we must therefore repudiate the other. Well, these are to be regarded as alternatives, so to say, as varying aspects of one fundamental reality (in view of the Jain concept of multiplicity of viewpoints - ANEKAANTAVAAD). Overemphasis on any one aspect of reality is analogous to the attitude of the blind men in the fable each of whom described the shape of the elephant according to the part of the animal he touched.(1)

Individual freedom and social justice are both essential for human welfare. We may exaggerate the one or underestimate the other. But he who follows the Jain concept of ANEKAANTAVAAD will not adopt that kind of cultural regimentation. He will have the spirit to discriminate between the right and wrong in his own and in the opposite views, and try to work for a greater synthesis. That should be the attitude which we should adopt. So the necessity for self-control, the practice of nonviolence (AHIMSA) and also tolerance and appreciation of others' point of view - these are some of the lessons which we can acquire from the great life of Mahaveer.

Footnote:

1. For details, see 'Studies In Jainism: Reader 1', published by Jain Study Circle, 1990, pages 33-34.

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Bhagwaan Mahaveer, who conquered the self, upon opening the doors to inner being realized this spiritual verity: the entire human existence is associated with liberation. He preached:

A. Walk with discernment, stand up with discernment, sleep with discernment; wake up with discernment, eat with discernment and speak with discernment. This is the way to be a well-rounded man.

B. The five vices that prevent a man from attaining true knowledge are pride, anger, negligence, poor health and laziness.

C. A man should conquer anger with forbearance, pride with modesty, intrigue with forthrightness, and greed with contentment.

D. The five mothers (sources) of superb life are: conscientious conduct, precise speech, impeccable diet, prudent lifestyle, and virtuous inclination.

E. Abate attachment and delusion, not much can be achieved through bodily suffering.

F. Realize the self (soul) through your body. What is the use of the pursuit of the external?

However, we have been consumed by the attainment of NIRVANA by Bhagwaan Mahaveer. We are shouting the slogans of his victory and we are not paying attention to his teachings. Bhagwaan Mahaveer taught every man to remain a man. His nonviolence is not a thing related to temple or worship or chanting. It is an arrangement between man and man, between man and nature, and between man and other living beings. It is the mode of living. Nonviolence should pervade each and every moment of our lives, each and every breath, and in our interactions with everyone and everything.

Still, we Jains who belong to Mahaveer are not living our lives properly; we are merely scrambling to live or whiling our lives away. We are knocking at the doors of temples that are shut. We have expelled Mahaveer from our homes, we have banished him from our market, we have deported him from the life of man, and we have unseated him from our businesses. Essentially, we say, "O Bhagwaan, you do not belong here. This is our field of endeavor. Please stay in the four walls of the temple. There we will worship you, we will pray to you, we will wave auspicious lamps in front of you, we will give you ceremonial bath, we will observe fasts, and we will read your precepts." By indulging in these rituals, we consider ourselves to be conscientious householders. Outside the boundaries of the temple lies the mundane world that is deemed the obstacle to salvation but there anything goes.

Our monks and other ascetics on renouncing the world have shut themselves into their shells. The mundane world is transient and of no consequence. Let it run its course. They are seeking spiritualism by shutting themselves from the outside. We are ascetics. We are not concerned with your violence, aversion, delusion, attachment, deception and indulgence in ignominious conduct. Concern with such things might compromise our spiritual pursuit.

. . . In this manner both segments of Jain society are confined in their respective domains. This is like rushing along two distant parallel paths.

The world of man is not a mere extension of his body. It is unified with spirituality as much as man himself is unified with soul. To attain salvation, some day man will have to go beyond the places of worship, beyond saffron robes, water pots and whisks. Man, with the resoluteness of a rock, will have to confront the violence that is consuming him. He will have to deal with the feeling of revenge that is eating him up. He has to combat the ego and pride that create arrogance resulting in the downfall of humanity. This is the way to celebrate the life of Bhagwaan Mahaveer in the true sense of the word. This is the way to progress on the path to spiritualism.

India can feel immensely proud of the great personages of the past who have elevated their souls through penance, and rightfully so. Their teachings are a source of inspiration even today after thousands of years. Among them, Bhagwaan Mahaveer is at the forefront. We are exalted by his auspicious remembrance.

Two thousand five hundred years ago, as it is today, numerous communities of various shades lived in India. Many of them were highly cultured and civilized. Some were underdeveloped and some were primitive. The situation has not changed even today. However, at the time of Mahaveer, the beliefs and conducts of various peoples were intricate and at variance. To a certain extent, there were some primitive tendencies. Under those conditions, it was extremely difficult to persuade society toward a righteous objective.

Giving free reign regarding beliefs and conduct is unhealthy. This approach may amount to supporting antisocial behavior resulting in an atmosphere of social disarray and anarchism. It is not possible to induce individuals to adopt virtuous conduct by demonstrating that their beliefs and traditions are illogical. Such endeavors generate unnecessary bitterness and heartache. In ancient times, debates and heated discussions were prevalent in which individuals and groups tried to establish the superiority of their beliefs and traditions. Such adventures did not bring about much good. The combatting camps became more resolute and adamant on their respective positions.(1)

Bhagwaan Mahaveer was among the great souls of India who tried to deal with this problem of our diverse society through deep and insightful thinking. In the first place, Mahaveer realized that mere words of a sermon are not efficacious in achieving the desired goal. Before uttering any words, it is imperative that the preacher exhibit impeccable conduct. His mind should be pure and his conduct should be exemplary. Words spoken by an individual who does not have control over his mind, speech and body, and who has not attained balance between his mental, verbal and physical being, are inefficacious.(2)

Our ancestors have defined penance as exercising proper control over mind, speech and body. Penance entails that we exercise adequate control over our senses. Only he who performs such penance attains the ability to give a sermon. People having different beliefs, upbringing and background are not impressed by arguments or eloquent rhetoric. Only pure and propitious character together with self-restraint leads to a beneficial result. For ages, this concept has been embedded in the minds in our country (India). Only an individual who possesses a righteous character can rule over the minds of the citizens. One without character can not be a true leader. It is sad that these days this fact is being ignored.

Bhagwaan Mahaveer was a great soul who conquered his senses and passions, and who attained the supreme status. He spent his entire life in self-restraint and penance. Such great souls are uncommon. The activities of his body, speech and mind were in perfect harmony. . . .

In addition to character, there is one more prerequisite of a teacher. A teacher has to have steadfast belief in nonviolence (reconciliation, amity).

In India, from ancient times, nonviolence has been regarded as the supreme religion - eternal religion, the sole religion. Practice of nonviolence of mind, speech and body is difficult. All accept it in principle but few individuals succeed in putting it to practice. Practicing physical nonviolence is relatively easy. Nonviolence in speech is harder to practice and avoiding mental violence is extremely tough. Striking a balance between the three is still more difficult.

. . . Nonviolence demands uncompromising self-control; it entails stringent control on speech; and it requires an inexorable disposition for truth. No ascetic practiced nonviolence to a greater extent than Mahaveer. He introduced the concept of nonviolence of thoughts and feelings. When an individual encounters a number of divergent concepts and beliefs, he/she adheres to a single concept. This leads to ego and pride in one's beliefs. It is seen that considering oneself to be unique among the people leads to violence. Claims of absolute truth amount to ego. On the other hand, truth is indivisible. A variety of sects and factions originate when we try to divide the truth.

Conservatism - claims of superiority of one's faith, hides the various aspects of truth. Bhagwaan Mahaveer did not let such feeling of superiority take hold in his mind.

This spirit of tolerance of Mahaveer that perceives truth in a variety of aspects (viewpoints) was later developed into the concept of VAISHNAVs (followers of VISHNU) of seeing the truth in all aspects. The Jain concept of relativism (SYAADAVAAD) also evolved from this concept. . . .

. . . Bhagwaan Mahaveer provided a refreshing perspective to philosophical endeavors of the entire country. His conduct and character, penance and rational thinking are worthy of our worship.

Footnotes:

1. Such misadventures to establish the superiority of one's own system have resulted in considerable violence throughout the history of mankind. - D. C. J.

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2. It should be pointed out that Bhagwaan Mahaveer started preaching only after attaining omniscience through supreme penance and meditation. - D. C. J.

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It is good to forget
it is better to forgive
Mahaveer has taught us
'live O' man, and let live.'
Mahaveer was human - a great soul,
but we turned him into Bhagwaan (God);
we should be practicing his principles in our lives,
but we positioned them skillfully in the scriptures;
we should be installing his spirit in the temples of our hearts,
but we ceremoniously installed his marble idols in stony temples;
his life is venerable, estimable and worth imbibing in practice,
but we remain imprisoned in the rituals of prayer and worship of him.

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