Tao Te Ching
Mahavira
(Vardhamāna)
540 – 468 BCE
"the great hero”
Reviver of the Jain tradition, 24th tirthankara, contemporary of the Buddha, and—like the Buddha—Mahavira left the wealth and power of his royal family to go on a spiritual quest. After 12 years of intense and ascetic meditation, he realized enlightenment and began a 30-year period of teaching. These teachings became some of the most important foundations of Jainism. The two major Jain sects differ in their understanding of Parshvanatha and Mahavira’s teachings. One believes their is no difference, the other that Mahavira expanded the scope of non-violence and began requiring monastic celibacy. HIs death and nirvana have become one of India’s most important holidays, the Diwali festival of lights.
Lineages
Jain Dharma
Eras
Western
Egyptian Civilization (3150 – 305 BCE)Greek Civilization (480 – 146 BCE)
The Axial Age, “The Great Leap of Being” (800 – 200 BCE)
Chinese
Eastern Zhou 東周 (770 – 256 BCE)Spring and Autumn period 春秋时代 (770 – 476 BCE)
Warring States period 春秋时代 (476 – 221 BCE)
Unlisted Sources
Jaina Sutra
Quotes by Mahavira (7 quotes)
“Do not injure, abuse, oppress, enslave, insult, torment, torture, or kill any creature or living being.”
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“Can you hold a red-hot iron rod in your hand merely because some one wants you to do so? Then, will it be right on your part to ask others to do the same thing just to satisfy your desires? If you cannot tolerate infliction of pain on your body or mind by others' words and actions, what right have you to do the same to others through your words and deeds?”
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“Do unto others as you would like to be done by. Injury or violence done by you to any life in any form, animal or human, is as harmful as it would e if caused to your own self.”
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“Kill not, cause no pain. Nonviolence is the greatest religion.”
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“In happiness and suffering, in joy and grief, we should regard all creatures as we regard our own self.”
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“A non-religious person when awake would make others sleep. Therefore his sleeping is good. A religious person when awake will awaken others. Therefore his awakening is good.”
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“All breathing, existing, living, sentient creatures should not be slain, nor treated with violence, nor abused, nor tormented, nor driven away.”
from Jaina Sutra
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Quotes about Mahavira (3 quotes)
“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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“If you think that it would be impossible to improve upon the Ten Commandments as a statement of morality, you really owe it to yourself to read some other scriptures. Once again, we need look no further than the Jains: Mahavira, the Jain patriarch, surpassed the morality of the Bible with a single sentence”
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“Each would understand Mahavira in their own language. The lion would sit down with lamb, and the king with the beggar. Each would respect the other. For they could see a living soul, and not just a body, in their neighbor.”
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