Gurudev on Mahavir Jayanti

29 Mar 2018 Bangalore, India

Today is the birthday of a great saint called Mahavir, who propagated Jainism. He is one of the most adored enlightened saints of India and the 24thTirthankara (the name given to an enlightened and realized soul in the Jain tradition).

Mahavir’s Teachings

Mahavir’s main principle is non-violence – ahimsa. He said that one has no right to be violent toward anything in the world.

He spoke of Anekantvada, which means that there are so many possibilities. The world is full of possibilities. There isn’t just one way. This knowledge is really needed today. If people understand this, there will be no terrorism or fanaticism in the world.

He also spoke of Syadvada, which is one of the most scientific approaches of dealing with the intellect. It says, “Perhaps there is something that I do not know.”
If someone says, “This is it, I know everything”, it is not correct.’
That is why he spoke of Syadvada – perhaps it could be some other way too. Everything is possible. That is a sign of a mature intellect; otherwise, it is an immature intellect.
He would always add perhaps in every one of his expressions to indicate that there is always room for exploration. If you say, this is like this, you are making it so definite. In this world, nothing is definite, there is always a possibility.

He spoke of Swadhyaya – observing and studying of our emotions, mind, and consciousness. Kayothsarga – rising above the body and realizing that we are not the body. Tapa – forbearance. Kshama – seeking forgiveness. “Knowingly or unknowingly, if I have done anything wrong through my action or inaction, I ask for your forgiveness.” This is the highest principle.

Click To Tweet This Article

Mahavir Was a Contemporary of Buddha

I believe Buddha and Mahavir were from the same town. They knew about each other, but they never met.  Someone asked them, “Why you didn’t meet?”
They replied, “There is no need, as we are already connected.”
You know, in the state of enlightenment, even though the ways are different, the soul is the same. There is no distance.

There is another version in history that they did meet, but did not speak to each other at all. They just met and went their separate ways. Here too, it is said that there was no need for verbal communication. When heart meets heart, and soul meets soul, there is no need to keep talking. When hearts meet, there is no language barrier, no words, nothing comes in between.

Buddha spoke about emptiness, Mahavir spoke about the self. Buddha said there is no self, Mahavir said all that is, is self. Repose in the self; the nature of the soul is happiness.

Subscribe

If you enjoyed reading this content and would like to receive a notification on our future updates, you can subscribe here.

Enter your email address:

You can also write to us on webteam.wisdom@artofliving.org for any questions or comments.

How to Reduce the Wavering of the Mind

 The nature of the mind is to waver, similar to how the nature of water is to flow. Now, how do you reduce this wavering nature of the mind? How to feel more calm and settled?

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar explains in this article.

READ MORE

 

Read earlier posts

  • September 23, 2019

    September 23, 2019
  • September 23, 2019

    September 23, 2019
  • September 23, 2019

    September 23, 2019
  • September 23, 2019

    7 Steps to Cope with Frustration

    November 23, 2018
    • In life you will have 101 reasons to get frustrated. However it is up to you keep the enthusiasm alive without allowing the frustration to seep in. Here are some pointers to help you keep frustration at bay.
  • May 1, 2018

    The Best Form of Donation

    April 28, 2018
    • It is important to donate at least 3 percent of what we earn - says Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. In this article he further talks about the best form of donation
  • Is Buddhism a Part of Hinduism

    April 25, 2018
    • It is often asked - Is Buddhism a part of Hinduism? Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar sheds light on the origin and similarity between the two religions

    The 5 Types of People

    April 23, 2018
    • A must read: There are 5 types of people in society - find out which type are you in this knowledge sheet by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

SUBSCRIBE