Lord Mahavira

1
Lord Mahavira

• Dr.T.V.Rao MD

2
Who Is Mahavira

• Mahavira (?????? lit. Great Hero) (599 527 BCE)
  is the name most commonly used to refer to the
  Indian sage Vardhamana (Sanskrit ???????
  "increasing") who established what are today
  considered to be the central tenets of Jainism.
  According to Jain tradition, he was the 24th and
  the last Tirthankara

3
Beginning of Lord Mahavira

• As King Siddhartha's son, he lived as a prince.
  However, even at that tender age he exhibited a
  virtuous nature. He started engaging in
  meditation and immersed himself in
  Self-contemplation.

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Awakening and Enlightenment

• After having left behind the pleasures of worldly
  life, he went into the state of deep silence for
  a period of about twelve and half years. During
  this period, he learnt to control his feelings
  and desires. For quite a long time, he went
  without food. His search for truth and the real
  virtues of life made people call him Mahavira.

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Jainism means Not Harming

• He preached that truth and clean living were the
  priorities in life, as was non-violence. Till
  today, Jains do not even harm a fly or a
  mosquito. True Jains tie a cloth around their
  nose, so as not to breathe in or destroy living
  organisms in the atmosphere.

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Lord Mahavira Non-Violent Search For Supreme
Truth

• Mahavira, a great prophet and teacher,
  systematised the Jain doctrines and embodied them
  in a comprehensive constitution of the faith. He
  built the edifice of Jainism by renovation
  modification and extension. Most of all, he
  infused new life and vitality into Arhata
  tradition.

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Accept all as ONE

• Mahavira said that the one who rejects the people
  and the world, rejects his own existence and the
  one who rejects his own existence rejects the
  existence of the world.

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Mahavira Advises the Humanity

• Do not reject the existence of the world and do
  not reject your existence as well. The most
  important principle of environment is that you
  are not the only element. When you do something
  for yourself you must know your action/s will
  impact the entire world." So what can an
  individual do? How do his actions affect the rest
  of the world?

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Have Compassion

• Live and let live. Love all - Serve all.
• Where there is Love there is Life. Violence is
  Suicide
• Have compassion towards all living beings.
  Hatred leads destruction

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Non violence Highest Religion

• Silence and Self control is non-violence
• Respect for all living beings is non-violence.
• Non-violence is the highest religion.

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Who is a Worldly Man

• A man is seated on top of a tree in the midst of
  a burning forest. He sees all living beings
  perish. But he doesn't realize that the same fate
  is soon to overtake him also. That man is fool.

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Why man is Unhappy

• All human beings are miserable because of their
  own ignorance, and they themselves can be happy
  by acquiring proper knowledge.

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Have compassion to Co - Humans

• Have compassion towards all living beings. Hatred
  leads destruction
• Just I dislike pain, so all other beings dislike
  pain.
• Aim to eliminate suffering in the world

14
Attain God Hood

• God is neither the creator nor the destructor of
  the universe. He is merely a silent observer and
  omniscient.
• Know thyself, recognize thyself, be immersed by
  thyself - you will attain Godhood.

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The Jain Theory on Relationships

• The same man is regarded simultaneously as son,
  father, son-in-law, father-in-law, nephew, uncle,
  brother, cousin, husband and so on yet there is
  no contradiction owing to an understood
  relationship
• which is termed in Jainism as syadvada

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Mere reading scriptures do not Help

• Just as a millions of lamps are of no use to a
  blind person, study of numerous scriptures does
  not do any good to a person without proper
  conduct

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What is True Renunciations

• True renunciation consists in developing
  indifference towards the world, the body and the
  enjoyment.

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What are the Evils

• Anger causes degradation of soul. Pride leads to
  a low state of existence. Deceit is an impediment
  (hindrance) to progress towards better state of
  existence. Greed spoils both, the present and the
  future lives. 

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Greed destroys Human Nature

• Anger spoils good relations, pride destroys
  humility, deceit is detrimental to friendship,
  while greed destroys everything. 

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Who is a Free Man

• A person who is free from delusion (who
  understands reality), has no misery. A person who
  is without any longing has no delusion. A person
  without greed has no longing. A person who does
  not have possessions has no greed.

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Navakär Mantra

• The Navakär Mantra contains the foremost message
  of Jainism. The message is very clear. If we want
  to be liberated from the cycle of life and death,
  we need to renounce worldly affairs by becoming a
  monk or a nun.

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Jainism leads to peace and purity

• Three Jewels of Right Faith, Right Knowledge
  Right Conduct are the path leading to peace and
  purity  Jainism

23
Lord Mahavira becomes Immortal

• He died in 527 BC at Parapuri in Bihar, and left
  behind a legacy of thought and some beautiful
  temples like the Dilwara in Mt. Abu, Rajasthan
  and Shravanbelagola in Karnataka.  

24
Attains Nirvana

• Around 500 BC, Lord Mahavira, the last of the 24
  Tirthankaras breathed his last here. This is the
  place where Lord Mahavira achieved Moksha or
  Nirvana (Salvation from the endless cycle of life
  and death). He was cremated at Pawapuri.

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Jainism influences Indian Culture

• Although ancient Jain scientific thought is not
  so well known, it is a rich source of Indian
  scientific heritage. The grand Jain spiritual
  tradition and its masters broadly influenced
  Indian thought and rationality in three key
  areas
•  

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Mark Twain Praises Indian Traditions

• India is the cradle of the human race, the
  birthplace of human speech, the mother of
  history, grandmother of legend, and great grand
  mother of tradition. Our most valuable and most
  instructive materials in the history of man are
  treasured up in India only."

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Worshipping at Shravanbelagola
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Mahavir Jayanti Celebration

• Mahavir Jayanti has a lot of religious
  significance for people belonging to the Jain
  religion. It is observed to celebrate the
  birthday of the great Lord Mahavira, who
  According to the Gregorian calendar, the Mahavir
  Jayanti festival falls during the period between
  March and April. As a part of Mahavir Jayanthi
  celebrations, the Jain temples are beautifully
  adorned with flags.

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Mahatma Gandhi on Lord Mahavir

• I say with conviction that the doctrine for which
  the name of Lord Mahavir is glorified nowadays is
  the doctrine of Ahimsa. If anyone has practiced
  to the fullest extent and has propagated most the
  doctrine of Ahimsa, it was Lord Mahavira."

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Dr. Rabindranath Tagore on Mahavira

• Mahavira proclaimed in India that religion is a
  reality and not a mere social convention. It is
  really true that salvation can not be had by
  merely observing external ceremonies. Religion
  cannot make any difference between man and man."

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Lokamanya Bala Gangadhar Tilak on Mahavira

• We learn from scriptures (Sashtras) and
  commentaries that Jainism is existing from
  beginning less time. This fact is indisputable
  and free from difference of opinion. There is
  much historical evidence on this

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Dr. S. Radhakrishnan on Lord Mahavir

• There is nothing wonderful in my saying that
  Jainism was in existence long before the Vedas
  were composed."

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Mahavira laid down five ways to get rid of wheel
of life

• Do not destroy life Speak the truthBe celibate
  Own nothing Accept nothing that is not freely
  given

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Mahavira preached Salvation

• He preached atheism or the absence of god.
  Jainism also believes that one can achieve
  salvation (freedom from wheel of life i.e.
  rebirth). Jains use the word Karma to mean a
  substance that binds the soul to physical world.
  By causing sins you keep accumulating Karma
  whereas meditation and fasting burns the Karma.
  One can get freedom from rebirth (Salvation) only
  after burning the Karma accumulated in past
  lives.

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Lord Mahavir attains Pure Bliss

• At the age of 72 (527 B.C.), Lord Mahavir died
  and his purified soul left the body and achieved
  complete liberation. He became a Siddha, a pure
  consciousness, a liberated soul, living for ever
  in a state of complete bliss.

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Lord Mahaviras Teachings inspire theHumanity
for Salvation.

• Dr.T.V.Rao MD
• Email
• doctortvrao_at_gmail.com