Editor Aparigraha Jain
Editor Carla Geerdes
In the morning of Day 2, more people than usual rushed to the house, where Acharyashree and the monks were accomodated. Groups of Sadhvis and Samanis had come for Guru Darshan and morning lecture. Once, we were told that this kind of spiritual activities in presence of their Guru is like holidays for the saints. At Maryada Mahotsav, they are so numbrous, and move mainly in groups. They are part of big white clouds with rushing feet on the earth, always in a hurry, moving as if they were one person. Only for Gochari they are seen in pairs.
Acharya Mahaprajna is going through some notes. Perhaps they are base for a book to write next, or some lecture was given to him for asking his advice, or he is going through some prayer, or he is just meditating. He has always this full concentration for the present, without being absent for a single moment, and without being attached to anything. There is no solemnness in his appearance, he IS like all other days. In his presence, the atmosphere is relaxed, and everybody tries to be aware of what is going on in this moment, he is sharing with him.
Two people are approaching Yuvacharya Mahashraman for asking his advice. There is never a hindrance to approach him, everyone can contact him, but has to be aware, that Yuvacharyashree has to interrupt his actual work for this encounter. It seemed as if everybody around him knew this and acted accordingly. When he is addressed, immediately the one who approaches him, has his full concentration.
Nobody among the Samanis tries to look 'interested', they all do what they are doing, with full concentration. Even when they are reading or writing, they are very attentively following the ongoing development. They are happy to be near their Guru, and to share presence with him. Outside, there are no signs of special interest on their faces, they are really detached, and come across as firm as rocks, without any rigour or hardness.
Sadhvi Pramukha Kanakprabha is always sitting on the left side of the stage with her group of Sadhvis. When she arrives, it is not her who is moving so nervously, but the lay people around her. She is coming very inconspicuously, but people get nervous, when they realise that it was her in a group of Sadhvis, who just had passed their way... and whom they had not recognised.
On Maryada Mahotsav, many lay followers from the villages wear their Mukhavastrika and white clothes, resembling to monks. Many of them then take the vow of maintaining silence the whole day or at least for the duration of the assembly. They want to leave behind the worldly activities for some time, Mukhavastrika and white dress are like a spiritual shield.
These lay followers are listening to Acharyashree's discourse. Most of them own a business or a company in a city.
These two brothers were very happy to meet us at Maryada Mahotsav. They had come from some remote village, and their trip to Ladnun was at least comparable to ours from Europe; certainly it was much more exhausting.
After discourses and lectures in the Assembly Hall, we met a friend on the campus. Some rural people were astonished to see editor Karuna Jain (middle) dressed like a man and talking to a friend in public, while editor Aparigraha Jain took their photo.
A busy day was about to take farewell, people on the campus talked to each other before going to sleep. Maryada Mahotsav day 2 was over.