08.The Living Example of Forgiveness

Chapter -8

The Living Example of Forgiveness
> A human is one who is able to forsake all external connections.

> It is not the definition of man to catch up each and every substance or thought coming from within, matters little; it may be either from the door of heart or from a home.

> Anger is contrary to nature; Anger is also a temporary insanity. Forgiveness is the vigour to defeat this madness.

An unexpected incident happened with Maharaj Shri in Kognoli village. Kognoli was the place where Achharya Shri initiated his penance and by relinquishing taste, began to move in full nude posture. Prior to this Jain Saints used to adopt nude posture only at the time of taking meal. He used to be engrossed in meditation during the whole night in a cave located in an unfrequented and isolated place in the outskirt of kognoli village.

Once, a mad man arrived in the jungle from the town. He had a stick with sharp-iron-edge in his hand which is generally used for chasing cattle. He demanded a piece of chapati from Maharaj Shri saying, “Eh-Baba! Give me a chapati as I am hungry.” But what was with this Baba to offer? He remained silent, absorbed in self.

Seeing Maharaj unmoved to his plea, he became agitated and began beating Maharaj Shri with the stick. The sharp-iron- edge of the stick inflicted several wounds on different parts of Maharaj Shri’s body and blood started oozing. Hands of Achharya Shri were swollen with the assault of the stick. No body was there to check him in such an adverse situation. The mad man continued with his insanity. Then, god knows what struck him,he left the cave.

In the morning when visitors came, they noticed blue spots of injuries and the bleeding body. But praise worthy are those ascetics who remain unmoved in such a grave situation. The news of the inci­dent spread like a wild fire in surrounding villages and the crowd of Shravaks gathered near Achharya Shri. In spite of repeated queries Achharya Shri kept mum about the incident.

After much persuasion and repeated requests he was brought to Kognoli village where he could recover after appropriate treatment and dedicated service.

It is during the moments of crisis, when forgiveness and pa­tience are put to trial. There was no revengeful attitude towards a harm-doer. Forgiveness became alive against the wonderful obser­vance of penance by Achharya Shri. Praiseworthy is the depth of this eternal ocean of Muni Shri’s compassion that forgave a person who had pierced him with the thorns of pain.

Forgiveness becomes the eternal wealth of those who be­come destitute of the feeling of anger. Perverted aspirations of an angry person punish him. It was heard that after some time the mad man was sentenced to death by a court of law on an allega­tion of the murder of one of his relatives.