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Mahavir the Ascetic was not
a Man in a Hurry
By Manish Modi
The nature of reality is dynamic. Reality is influenced by free
will and determination. Were we to believe, however, that
determination alone is the final verdict, then we would be
niyativadis, not Jains. Free will alone does not determine all events.
Our past karmas determine our prarabdha , or fate. Our present
karmas determine our purusartha, or focused efforts towards a
specific goal.
We can do nothing about our prarabdha. We should accept it
as it comes, with equanimity. If we are experiencing the results of
positive past karmas, we should keep our feet firmly on the ground
and remember that karmas are external to the soul. Their effect is
only temporary. Whether we experience pleasure or pain, it is only
fleeting. Only the bliss attained by the yogin who is free from all
temporal bonds is real bliss because it is constant, irreversible and
permanent. Temporal happiness is momentary and fleeting.
Mahavir did not believe in pure determinism. He believed in purusartha. He did not sit at home and wait for
the “right day” to come. He did not get a sudden flash of insight. He attained liberation through sustained
purusartha in the face of great adversity. No extraneous factors were going to determine his life. He took on
prarabdha, and won with the help of his perfect purusartha.
Mahavir was clear that he could not be a saviour of all humankind. He could be the catalyst in their
liberation. But each soul is the master of its own fate. Mahavir never deluded himself that he could be the
causative factor in anyone else’s liberation. As a Tirthankara or ford maker, he was the catalyst in establishing the
fourfold Dharma tirtha, the ford of Dharma, or right conduct. But he realised that he was the master of his own
fate, and concentrated on his own liberation.
Mahavir’s conduct and his teachings showed us the path of liberation. He was not a philosopher. He lived
his truth. His conduct reflected his philosophy. Vedic philosophy maintains that one can shed karmas through
knowledge.
Mahavir believed that karmas can be shed only through appropriate conduct. He realised that each soul is
unique, separate and distinct entity. He remained in himself, thought for himself. He did not worship anyone, he
did not build temples, and he did not go on pilgrimages. Mahavir shared his thoughts with those who were willing
to learn from him. He did not go anywhere, he did not seek an audience.
If there were people keen to seek his guidance, he did not address them personally. He did not advise them
on worldly matters. He did not indulge in predictions, did not dispense miracles, etc. His life was a study in
equanimity and calm. Mahavir was not a man in hurry.
His decisions were well thought out, his message was clear. Harm no one and no one will harm you. Realise
the nature of reality. Learn bheda Jnana, the art of distinguishing between the permanent and the temporary,
between the soul and the non-soul. Realise that one substance cannot do more than become a catalyst for another
substance’s modifications. Ultimately, each substances’ modifications rely on its own dharma, or true nature.
Do not run after temporal pleasures. Your stay in this world is fleeting. An orderly life is the
base for spiritual development.
…………………………………………………
Love starts with a smile, develops with a kiss
and ends with either a tear or an eternal embrace
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