14.09.2016 ►JAINA ►Special Newsletter - Das Lakshana Day 9

Let me give up attachment through unattachment. My soul will be my only support (in this practice of unattachment). (Hence) let me give up everything else.

- Bhagwan Mahavir

Not to have the least (Parigraha) attachment is known as Akinchanya (non-attachment).

Historically ten external possessions are listed in our scriptures: ‘land, house, silver, gold, wealth, grain, female servants, male servants, garments and utensils’. Remaining unattached from these helps control our desires and leads to an influx of punya karmas. While, remaining unattached from our internal attachments: false belief, anger, pride, deceit, greed, laughter, liking, disliking, lamentation, fear and celibacy lead to its purification.

There was a forest. Daily some cowherds led the cows to graze in that pastureland. One-day, while grazing the cows they chanced to see ripe mangoes hanging from a tree. Their mouths watered on seeing the mangoes. When one of the cowherds cast a pebble at the mangoes, two mangoes fell down. He ate them and enjoyed the delicious fruits. The mangoes were really very sweet. This made another cowherd think - "Why to miss such tasty fruits? I shall also pluck a mango just now." So saying he picked up a pebble and struck at the mangoes. Instead, the stone piece struck the head of a saint meditating under the tree. His head was injured and started bleeding. This horrible sight terrified all the cowherds. Seeing tears flowing from the eyes of the saint, the cowherds approached him and spoke humbly - "O saint! We are guilty. You are all merciful. Please pardon us. We have inflicted severe injury and pain to you." The saint replied calmly, "I have suffered no pain." The cowherds again questioned, "if you have felt no pain, why tears are bursting from your eyes?" At this the saint replied, "Boys! When you cast pebbles at the mango tree, it gave you sweet and tasty mangoes. But now when your stone piece struck me, I have nothing to give you in return. That is why tears are flowing from my eyes." The cowherds paid homage to the saint lying at his feet and returned home. The instant that the feeling of compassion grows in human heart, is the beginning of religion.

All sadness arises from too great attachment to this world. As soon as you are free from it and consider yourself a stranger therein, you will perceive that everything you behold or taste cannot abide with you, and that you must go to another place; therefore you will no longer feel and anxiety.