Sadhvi Vishrut Vibha
Once upon a time, there lived a prince in Mathura. One day, he decided to renounce worldly pleasures and become an ascetic. He was taught Aagams and then, had accepted Ekal-vihar Pratima. For long, he had been suffering from a terrible disease and was undergoing a lot of pain and agony but he could not get himself cured as treatment is prohibited for Jain Monks.
A young lady saw the agony of the monk and felt pity for him. She immediately consulted a doctor, who prescribed some medicine. She mixed the medicine in food and offered it to the monk.
The young lady offering the medicine mixed food to the monk
The monk accepted the food. Gradually, the monk's sufferings reduced and with the passing of time, he regained his health. One day, he came to know how and why he had recuperated. As medical treatment was for-bidden for Jinkalpi monks, he declared Santhara.
In the ancient times, Jain monks strictly followed the rules and never took medicines. But now - a - days, due to the polluted environment, the power of resistance has diminished. Therefore they have to use medicines to relieve them from the ailments, caused by pollution.
A Jain monk's main focus of attention is not the body but the soul. Hence, they do not take much care of the body because it is the soul, whose chastity is important in order to attain salvation.
