Reflection On The Life Of Mahavira

Here's a comprehensive summary of the provided text, "A Reflection on the Life of Tirthankara Mahāvira" by Dr. J. C. Sikdar:

The text offers a profound reflection on the life of Tirthankara Mahāvira, portraying him as a pivotal figure in Jainism – a great ascetic, religious teacher, philosopher, and reformer. Mahāvira, the last of the 24 Tirthankaras, is presented as a key figure who consolidated and systematized the Nirgrantha Dharma, building upon the foundations laid by his predecessors, particularly Pārsvanātha.

Mahāvira's Role and Mission:

• Systematizer and Reformer: Mahāvira's mission was a historical necessity, arising from a religiously diverse North India with strong opposition from various heterodox sects like Brahmanism, Buddhism, and Ājivikism. He reformed and consolidated the Nirgrantha Sangha on a solid metaphysical foundation, absorbing followers of Pārsvanātha and attracting new disciples from other sects and the general populace.
• Teaching Methodology: He wandered throughout North India, preaching to people of all social strata and faiths. His teachings were delivered in various formats, including question-and-answer sessions, dialogues, legends, parables, similes, analogies, and everyday incidents, making complex philosophical and metaphysical doctrines of Nirgrantha Dharma accessible.
• Continuity and Improvement: While there was no fundamental difference in the laws preached by Pārsvanātha and Mahāvīra, Mahāvīra made improvements to their moral precepts, providing a deeper metaphysical foundation necessitated by the religious climate of his time.

Ascetic Life and Vairāgya (Detachment):

• Renunciation of Worldly Attachments: A central theme is Mahāvira's profound sense of detachment (Vairāgya) from "Kāmini-Kāñcana" (woman and wealth). This detachment arose from his intense desire to realize the Supreme Soul (Paramātmā). He renounced the world at the age of thirty, leaving behind royal life and familial attachments without any prior arrangements for his family, demonstrating a complete focus on his spiritual quest.
• The Danger of Worldly Involvement: The text emphasizes that as long as one is not devoted to Paramātmā, they are bound by karma. Worldly attachment, particularly to "Kāmini-Kāñcana," creates Maya (illusion), trapping individuals in a cycle of karma, even when a path to liberation exists.
• The Path to Realization: Mahāvira achieved the realization of Paramātmā through severe austerities and meditation for twelve years. The text highlights the importance of choosing lonely and quiet places for such practices, free from worldly hindrances.

Key Principles of Mahāvira's Path:

• Vivekajñāna (Discrimination): A crucial aspect of Mahāvira's spiritual development was Vivekajñāna – the knowledge that distinguishes the eternal (sat) from the non-eternal (asat). Paramātmā is identified as sat, and all else as asat. This realization fueled his desire to know Paramātmā.
• Cessation of Desire: The text states that when the desire for worldly objects ceases, Viveka arises, leading to the knowledge of Tattvas (reals). This purity of mind allows one to travel towards the sphere of Paramātmā.
• Earnestness and Eagerness: Mahāvira possessed "vyākulatā" (eagerness) for spiritual realization, alongside Vivekajñāna and other essential factors, which enabled him to attain Kevalajñāna (Omniscience) and Kevaladarśana (Omni-self-awareness).
• The Role of the Guru: The association with monks (Sadhusanga) and a good preceptor (Sadguru) are deemed essential for spiritual progress, qualities Mahāvira embodied.
• Inner Spiritual Fire: The text uses the metaphor of fire in wood to explain Mahāvira's approach. He extracted the spiritual fire within himself through austerity and meditation, refining his inner thoughts and ideas, and finally consuming them with spiritual knowledge for contentment.
• Beyond Bookish Knowledge: A significant point is the emphasis on direct spiritual realization over mere book study. Mahāvira attained his profound knowledge and power not by studying scriptures but through intense austerity and meditation, plunging deep into the "sea of consciousness." His teachings, transmitted through oral traditions and later documented, are considered a manifestation of this inner realization.

Mahāvira's Attributes and Impact:

• Jivanmukta: Upon attaining Kevalajñāna and Kevaladarśana, Mahāvira became a Jivanmukta (one liberated while still alive). He was insensitive to physical suffering, demonstrating a complete transcendence of the ego and the thought that the body is real (dehātmabuddhi).
• Divine Simplicity: He possessed divine simplicity, being above the three gunas (Sattva, Rajas, Tamas) and unperturbed by purity or impurity. His ego and pride vanished with his spiritual attainment.
• Compassion and Non-Attachment: Mahāvira had equal compassion (dayā) for all beings but no attachment (māyā) to his own relatives. He was desireless and focused solely on Paramātmā.
• Spiritual Power and Magnetic Attraction: The text argues that spiritual power is essential for effective religious preaching. Mahāvira's spiritual power attracted immense crowds, including kings and aristocrats, who flocked to him for his teachings without any formal invitation. His discourses were impactful because they came from a place of inner realization.
• True Asceticism: A true ascetic, Mahāvira possessed no wealth and was completely free from shame, hate, fear, desire, and passions, the ties of worldly life.
• Karma and Non-Attachment: While action (karma) is inherent, Mahāvira advocated performing it with non-attachment, without expecting the fruits of action. He worked with this non-attachment after attaining Kevalajñāna.
• Lack of Ego: Mahāvira's teachings were not driven by ego or the desire for personal recognition. His work was a "meritorious" expression of divine love for Paramātmā.
• Modesty and Universality: He was modest in all respects and saw the presence of Paramātmā in all beings, rendering great service to humanity. His teachings were universal, not confined by caste or gender.
• Forbearance: Mahāvira displayed incredible mental and physical forbearance, remaining undisturbed and unreacting to abuse and torture, like an anvil under a blacksmith's hammer.
• Nirvana: Mahāvira's physical body was given up by himself during his last sermon, marking the culmination of his mission and leaving an immortal legacy.

In essence, the text portrays Mahāvira as an exemplar of spiritual perfection, achieved through rigorous asceticism, profound detachment, and unwavering devotion to the realization of the Supreme Soul. His life serves as a guide for attaining spiritual liberation, emphasizing inner transformation, discrimination between the real and unreal, and selfless service to humanity.