Mahavira

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Mahāvira (वर्धमान महावीर) or Mahāvir (the "Great Hero"); also, Vardhamāna (increasing) or Niggantha Nāthaputta (599 BC - 527 BC) was a philosopher and teacher who developed the core traditions of Jainism.

Contents 1 Sourced 2 Unsourced 3 Others 4 External links 5 References

[edit] Sourced

• All breathing, existing, living, sentient creatures should not be slain, nor treated with violence, nor abused, nor tormented, nor driven away.
  • Ācharanga Sutra, Book 1, lecture 4, lesson 1, as translated by H. Jacobi, quoted in The Boundless Circle : Caring for Creatures and Creation (1996) by Michael W. Fox, p. 262

• Desistance from sin makes one entirely happy.
  • As quoted in Religion and culture of the Jains (1975) by Jyotiprasāda Jaina, p. 187

• Non-violence and kindness to living beings is kindness to oneself. For thereby one's own self is saved from various kinds of sins and resultant sufferings and is able to secure his own welfare.
  • As quoted in Religion and culture of the Jains (1975) by Jyotiprasāda Jaina, p. 187

• A living body is not merely an integration of limbs and flesh but it is the abode of the soul which potentially has perfect perception (Anant-darshana), perfect knowledge (Anant-jnana), perfect power (Anant-virya), and perfect bliss (Anant-sukha).
  • As quoted in Jainism and Indian Civilization (2004) by Raj Pruthi, p. 24

[edit] Unsourced

• Kill Not. Cause no pain.

• Swabhav, Nimitt, Purusharth, Kaal-labdhi aur Bhavitavyata - Inn 'Paanch Samvaayo' ke bina koi bhi karya sampann nahi hota.

• Main swayam 'Bhagwaan' hoon aur meri tarah samast jeev bhi 'Bhagwaan' hain - Yeh Jain-darshan ka mool siddhant hai.

[edit] Others

• Mahavira, the Jain patriarch, surpassed the morality of the Bible with a single sentence: "Do not injure, abuse, oppress, enslave, insult, torment, torture, or kill any creature or living being." Imagine how different our world might be if the Bible contained this as its central precept.

• Sam Harris, Letter to a Christian Nation (2006), page 23^[1]

[edit] External links

• Mahavira and Jainism by Sanderson Beck
• Lord Mahavir and Jain Religion - complied by Pravin K. Shah

[edit] References

1. ↑ Harris, Sam (2006). Letter to a Christian Nation (1st edition ed.). New York: Alfred A. Knopf. pp. 96 pages. ISBN 0-307-26577-3.