Sadhvi Vishrut Vibha
Concentrate On Your Soul
Once upon a time there lived a prince in Mathura. One day he decided to renounce wordly pleasures and become an ascetic. He was taught ‘Agamas’ and then had accepted, ‘Ekal Vihar Pratima’. For long he had been suffering from a terrible disease and was undergoing lot of pain and agony but he could not get himself cured as treatment this 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 the food and offered it to the monk.
The monk accepted the food. Gradually, the monk’s sufferings reduced and as time passed, he regained his health. One day, he came to know how and why he had recuperated. As medical treatment was forbidden for ‘Jinkalpi’ monks, he declared ‘Santhara’.
In the ancient times, Jain monks strictly followed the rule and never took medicines. But nowadays, due to the polluted environment, the power of resistance has diminished. Therefore, they have to use medicines to relief themselves 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 soul, whose chastity is important to attain salvation.
