SAMRADITYA SAGA Part 2 - TANGLES OF HATRED

Words of wisdom

“If you do not eat, then this sword, like the flaring tongue of Yamraj, will not be ashamed of you,” said Anand while swinging his sword in the sky.
“Prince, first I have to say something, listen carefully! After that, do whatever you want.”
“Okay, whatever you want to say, go ahead.” With the help of the sword, he stood with one hand on his waist.
“Prince, this body is not eternal. It is not going to last forever. Its death is certain. Then whether that body is mine, yours or of any other being. Nothing in this body is of any essence! Whatever is essential, there will be love for it. How will affection arise on things that lack essence? The fate of body is death. One day, it will become ashes and mix in the soil. Why would a man, who rightly understands this truth, be afraid of death? Why would he be afraid of death standing in front him?
Man should not believe that ‘I am dying.’ What I am, is the soul. And the soul never dies. The body acquired by the soul gets destroyed. The process of destruction of the body has been named as death.
Ignorant men do not understand this truth and believe that ‘I am dying'! Prince, I have received this knowledge of death from Gurudev. So, I am not afraid of death. I am fearless.
The second thing that I have to say, listen to it carefully. Every living being is dying every moment. In the previous life itself, the soul binds the life-span determining karma for the next life. Even I might have bound or will bind that karma in this very life. In the same way, you will also decide your next life in this one or you must have already done it.
Similarly, every moment right now, I am enjoying the life-determining karma bound in the previous incarnation! On reducing, it will come to an end and that’s death! That’s why, every being is dying every moment. He is moving from the shore of life to that of death. Yet the man who does not know this secret, he takes false pride in thinking that ‘I am living'! Who lives here? Everyone is approaching death every moment and dying! When the life-determining karma will be completely destroyed, the soul will leave this body and go to another incarnation. He will reach the  incarnation of which he would have bound the karma. Man can bind the karmas of all four categories of incarnations. You may ask that when does the soul bind the life-determining karma. I can’t answer this. Only some knowledgeable person can give the answer! All beings do not bind the life-determining karma at the same time.
Kumar, the third thing that I have to say, listen to it with concentration. This world is like a journey of travellers. It is constantly moving towards the pilgrimage of death. In this journey, some walk forward while some follow behind slowly. Some even walk at slow pace. That’s how some of them reach there first while others a bit late. But each and every being is ought to reach the pilgrimage of death.
The ignorant being does not know or understand that he is walking towards the pilgrimage of death. Intermittent rest is taken as the journey is long. The soul takes rest in the form of life, and again starts off his journey! But what a pity! The being does not even know whether he is near the pilgrimage of death or far. The pilgrimage of death is invisible; the traveller reaching there also becomes invisible. The glory of that pilgrimage is such that no one is visible on reaching there.
The ignorant being is crushed under the false pride that he will live for a hundred, thousand or lakhs and crores of years. He is unaware that he is standing in front of the shrine of death and just has to go one step ahead. Still he says,” I am living and I am going to live.”
“We are all pilgrims to the shrine of death. We have to keep walking fearlessly. That’s why, I am fearless.
Kumar, listen calmly to the fourth thing I learnt from Gurudev. Whoever has seen slaughterhouses, know that the animals that enter the slaughterhouse, give up their hope of living. They see the shadow of death hovering in front of their eyes. Poor creatures! They are ignorant. They don’t like to die, so they scream, cry and try to run away. But they have to die there, that’s destiny.
In the same way, this world is like a slaughterhouse. Every living being wandering in the four areas of incarnations, is sure to die. The ignorant beings who cannot see death, they stay indulged in the pleasures attained by them. When they see death in front of them; any deadly disease surrounds them or old age starts giving sorrow, they cry and shriek, ‘I don’t want to die.’ They try various ways to escape death! ‘I want to live more’ – this way, they express helplessness. Maybe they don’t know that this is a slaughterhouse. Many beings succumb to death in front of us here. We are also standing in their queue. We will be killed when our  turn comes. Slaughterhouse is not an animal shelter! The creatures over there are not meant to live. They stay there only to die!
The time to die is going to come! Just wait and watch!
Kumar, listen to my fifth lesson attentively.
Death is a hunter – we are all like a herd of deer. The hunter’s bow is like old age and arrows are like illnesses. Countless arrows get released from that bow and strike some or the other running deer. The deer that gets attacked, collapses on the ground. He dies a painful death. Hunters take him away.
Poor deer! Innocent and slender! Neither can they face the hunter nor escape from them.
One after the other, those deer get trapped.
We humans are running without any direction. Blocking our way, the hunters of death are chasing us with arrows on their bows. They keep striking the arrows and one after the other, members of the group keep becoming victims. Despite seeing with their own eyes, they do not think because the intoxication of ignorance has overpowered them. We are more innocent than deer.
One day, you and I will also be attacked by that arrow. We will fall prey to the hunter of death. Well, the arrow has already victimised me. The poisonous effect of the arrow is spreading in my body. I’m waiting for the hunter to take me away.
Kumar, my sixth point is also about the understanding of death. Listen attentively.
From the groves of trees, mountains and rivers, small and big forests filled with animals, the lion roams freely. Likewise, death is roaming freely in this world. Nothing stops it. It doesn’t care about anyone.
When it wishes, it targets a herd of deer and suddenly takes away a few of them.
Death roams freely in the whole world. It has been roaming since time immemorial and will keep wandering  till eternity. No one can stop it. Whether beings hide in houses made of iron or in caves of mountain, death traps them anyhow!
Even if anyone expresses helplessness by saying, ‘Don’t kill me, don’t eat me, spare me,’ and prays for life, death doesn’t pay heed to any plea. It doesn’t have any mercy! There is nobody’s rule over death! It seems as if death is the ruler of this world! Like a lion, it pounces on creatures anytime and anywhere. It leaves them torn and burps away.
We are all animals wandering in the forest of the world. One day, the lion of death is going to pounce on us. Why would anyone who understands this, fear death?
Kumar, now the seventh point I am talking about is Jinvachan. Listen  to it patiently.
The great people whose intellectual vision has developed, they become detached from the physical world seeing the frequent births and deaths of beings. They get anxious of the innumerable difficulties arising in life. And those who find this world itself to be a big disease and are suffering from it, they take refuge of Jinvachan (teachings of the enlightened) to get liberated.
Those who wish to go beyond birth and death, Jinvachan aids them.
Those who wish to get rid of innumerable problems, Jinvachan liberates them.
Those who need a medicine to pacify the pain of life-cycles, Jinvachan pacifies their pain.
Jinvachan is worth taking refuge of. I have taken refuge of Jinvachan.  Gurudev Dharmghoshsuriji has done a great favour on me. He explained by the teachings of Tirthankar and stabilized them in my heart.
Due to the effect of those teachings, I do not have any hatred even on those who hurt me. Even in severe pain, I do not get into stress, I am stable.
Kumar, the eighth thing I am talking about is the effect of Jinvachan.
Jinvachan is a proven chemical. This chemical is used for three types of diseases. It is an infallible chemical, it never fails.
The wise beings who do not wish to take birth in this world again and are in search of an effective remedy, they should use this chemical of Jinvachan. They are do take birth again, they attain salvation.
Those who are suffering from old age, and never wish to be a victim of old age, they should consume this chemical of Jinvachan regularly. The colour of youth will always overpower old age.
And those who want to conquer death and wish to attain a state of immortality, they should use the chemical of Jinvachan!
The enlightened Gods have done this great favour on the universe. They words are always beneficent. Those beings who follow their teachings, receive the youth of spirituality. Then there is no helplessness or sadness in them. They’re always cheerful!
Gurudev Dharmghoshsuriji has given me the chemical of Jinvachan and I always have it. That’s why, even in such a situation, I am not miserable.
Kumar, the ninth thing that I am talking about is also about the effect Jinvachan.
Fear troubles even the kings in this world.
Even the rich have fear.
Artists also tremble with fear.
Even strong wrestlers get afraid!
Whether men, women or children, everyone is surrounded by some kind of fear. But those who have imbibed the teachings of Tirthankar, they are fearless. Fear doesn’t trouble them!
Jinvachan is the only element that can give fearlessness to living beings. I am also fearless only after receiving those teachings. I have attained fearlessness.
• I am not afraid of any enemy.
• I am not afraid of any weapon.
• I am not afraid of any human.
• I have no fear of any demon.
My conscience feels the ultimate bliss of fearlessness. I have coloured my thoughts with the teachings of Tirthankar. I have sprinkled the water of Jinvachan on all my thoughts and actions. Such water that will neither come off nor fade away!
My spirit has calmed down.
Meditate on the teachings of Tirthankar to be fearless in any kind of situation. Believe only in the teachings of the enlightened. Try to solve life’s problems only Jinvachan. Then neither fear nor anxiety will trouble you!
Kumar, the tenth point is about peaceful death. Listen carefully to what I am about to tell you.
There are two types of death. This first kind of death is that of ignorant beings, sinners and beings surrounded by intense karmas and attachments.
• Those who are knowledgeable
• Those who have renounced violence and other sins
• Those who have got rid of most of their karmas
• Those who have broken their attachments
The death of such great men is the second type of death. Their death becomes a festival.
• I have attained spiritual knowledge from Gurudev Dharmghoshsurji.
• I have renounced my sins by adopting the vows of monkhood internally.
• Most of my karmas have been shed off.
• The attachment towards my body has also been broken.
• I have realised the distinction of the soul and body. Therefore, my death will be like a festival. I am eager to celebrate such a festival. In many past lives, the soul has been the victim of the first kind of death and wandered in hell and other awful incarnations. In such incarnations, only the first kind of death occurs.
I am alert to make my death a celebration. I am waiting for my peaceful death.
Kumar, the eleventh point is also related to peaceful death. Listen calmly and with a stable mind.
• The great men who do penance.
• And break the attachment towards food by such penance
• Those nobles who establish self-realised discipline in their soul
They strengthen their self-realisation by establishing detachment.
• Those nobles who remain brave, courageous and immersed in spiritual meditation even in disasters
The death of those great men is called Samadhi Mrityu.
That’s why I have accepted fast unto death. I had not done any great penance in my previous years. I have received the golden opportunity to fast in this jail.
I have accepted monkhood internally. That is why, values of complete abstinence has been established in my soul. I have become free from sins like violence, lying, theft, sensuality and possessions. The ocean of detachment is overflowing in my soul.
I kept patience even in deadly difficulties. I have endured hardships bravely and will also endure hardships coming in future.
I will surely attain Samadhi Mrityu only. I will get an opportunity to celebrate the festival of my peaceful death in this prison! I’m overjoyed!
Kumar, the twelfth point that I’m going to say is about the celebration of death. Those devout souls who have faith that after death, they will either go to heaven or attain salvation by destroying all karmas, the death of those great men is a festival.
Those who have earned virtuous karmas by good thoughts and actions, those virtuous karmas take the soul to heaven.
Those who have performed charity, purity and austerity, their soul goes to heaven.
Those who have spent their lives being engrossed in spiritual meditation, they become passengers of heaven.
Those who enter in the purest level of meditation, they attain salvation after destroying all the karmas.
It is my decision from self-witness that I will go to heaven after death. I will not attain hell, animal kingdom or human incarnation.
• Then what is the need to be afraid of death?
• Why will death appear sorrowful then?
Death will seem like a mere festival to me. I am looking forward to such a festival.
Kumar, the thirteenth point is death of Yamraj. You listen to this matter very carefully.
• Death is called Yamraj.
• And Yamraj is like a cruel snake.
• The venomous sting of that snake has the potential to cause innumerable diseases.
• In the sting of that snake, there is a lot of venom which gives immense pain.
• It is not possible to escape from him. There is no chance of running away from his clutches. Yamraj has constantly been ruling over this world. It is the greatest mistake to have the desire to live long in such a world. It is ignorance, it is deceit! Yamraj has domination over all the living beings of the four incarnations. To get rid of him is the supreme duty of this life!
This snake (referring to Yamraj) can sting anytime anywhere, be it on the ground or in the sky. Be it under the ground or across the ocean. The motion of Yamraj is in the entire universe. Therefore, before that snake stings us, we should achieve spiritual welfare.
I can see that snake right in front of me.
Kumar, my fourteenth poit is about the ‘Elephant of Death’! Listen to this with some more patience.
Death means Yamraj.
Yamraj is a frantic wild elephant!
It is impossible to scare and drive away that elephant! He runs towards the person whom he sees. And with great speed, he clings to that person with his strong trunk. However, his trunk is not visible to humans. But when he is caught by the trunk, he realizes that he is badly trapped by Yamraj.
• This world is a fierce forest!
• There are groups of wild elephants in this forest.
• They are roaming around freely.
Everyday, the elephants trap innumerable beings in its trunks and crush them under their feet.
Many beings become victims of death everyday! One day, we are also going to get caught in the trunk of that elephant and get trapped.
Before that elephant springs up before us, we should be prepared for the afterlife. We must abstain from sins and rest in spirituality only.
Care should be taken that there is no mistake or negligence.
Kumar, this is my fifteenth and last point about Yamraj compared to a farmer.
Listen to it patiently, then do whatever you want.
Death means Yamraj.
Yamraj means farmer.
Just as a farmer cuts off his ripe grain, Yamraj also cuts living beings with a sharp-edged sickle  in the same way at the appropriate time.
Whether king or subjects, Indra or Nagendra, whoever it may be, nobody can make out when Yamraj’s sickle will strike like a knife on the neck.
Before Yamraj’s sickle strikes our neck, we should practise spirituality which gives bright afterlife.
I have made all my preparations. Now, even if Yamraj strikes his sickle on my neck, I am not afraid at all!
Kumar, don’t do anything which will defame you in the world. You have come to kill me, right. I am anyway standing on the edge of the well of death. Don’t tarnish your dignity by killing me. There will be undue defamation among the people.
Kumar shouted and said, “Stop this rubbish! It’s enough! I don’t need your teachings at all. Just tell me whether you are you having food or not! My ears have got tired listening to your nonsense!