Chapter 4 | Kaivalya (Omniscience) And The Bhagavan's Sermons |
eople afflicted with passivity and laziness were inspired with the ideal of spiritual exertion by Bhagavan Mahavira.
He said to man,
"O man, Exert yourself. If you do not use your inherent spiritual powers, you will remain devoid of spiritual wealth."
His message was:
"Exert yourself in spiritual discipline so long as you remain unaffected of by old age, disease and senility."
Bhagawan Mahavira did not reject the effects of past actions (popularly known as fate) but he tried to free man from the shackles of fatalism, resulting from lack of exerting oneself.
Bhagavan Mahavira stood for the doctrine of synthesis.
He extolled neither absolute fate nor absolute exertion. He synthesised both. This new trend freed the Indian society from faith in miracles, passivity and stupor and inculcated in them the force of realism, manliness and awakening.
He enlivened the soul of India.