Vardhamana Mahavira

From Spiritual Note

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Vardhamana Mahavira
Vardhamana Mahavira
Date of Birth:	599 BC
Date of Death:	527 BC
Place:	Kundalpur, Bihar, India

Vardhamana Mahavira was born of King Siddartha and Queen Trisala of Kundalpur, in 599 BC. Even though he was the price he was virtuous by nature. At the age of 30 (in 569 BC) he abandoned home and spent next twelve years in meditating. He attained omniscience in 557 BC.

Mahavira lived a life of absolute truthfulness, a life of perfect honesty and a life of absolute chastity. He lived without possessing any property at all.

‘Maha’ means great and ‘Vira’ means a hero. ‘Tirtha’ literally means a ford, a means of crossing over. Metaphorically, it denotes a spiritual guide or philosophy which enables one to cross over the ocean of recurring births in this world. ‘Kara’ means one who makes. The whole word Tirthankara means a Jain holy teacher.

[edit] Teachings

Mahavira preached the following three things as the real path to attain the liberation from karmic matter of one’s self.

Samyak Darshana: Right Faith.
Samyak Jnana: Right Knowledge.
Samyak Charitra: Right Conduct.

The Right Conduct (Samyak Charitra) include the following:

Nonviolence (Ahimsa) – not to cause harm to any living beings
Truthfulness (Satya) – to speak the harmless truth only
Non stealing (Asteya) – not to take anything not properly given
Chastity (Brahmacharya) – not to indulge in sensual pleasure
Non possession/Non attachment (Aparigraha) – complete detachment from people, places, and material things

Mahavira was the last (24th) Tirthankara. He entered into Nirvana in 527 BC. at the age of 72.

His birthday is celebrated as Mahavir Jayanti and is the most important religious holiday of Jains around the world.