Surrender of Animal Lion before Man-Lion
Chapter -10
> Lion and “Maharaf’ both are kings.
> Achharya “Gun Bhadra” has called monks as Man-lion.
> The monk’s natural tendency is similar to that of the lion. He does not accept humility. Valour and self-respect is included in the daily routine of monks.
> Muni moves about all alone like a lion.
> Lion, the Lord of animals wanders in the jungle fearlessly. Jain Saints being untouched with worldly temptation move without fear in the dense forest of the world. In this respect both are at parity.
> But there is a remarkable dissimilarity. Non-vegetarianism is inalienable for the lion’s mode-of-life (“Paryaya”). Its food is not possible without violence, while the monk is a staunch follower of non-violence.
Lion is violent (as a beast of prey) but not cruel and if not hungry it sits silently without being agitated. But because of its mode-of-life it is destined to violence.
P Muni is always non-violent and compassionate. Invisible bright rays of non-violence emit from his halo. These rays are capable of calming down a violent animal.
This incident relates to “Dronagiri Siddh Kshetra” wherein the venerable Achharya Shri had arrived along with his congregation. He used to go to temples situated in the mountain range of Dronagiri during night for meditation. His daily routine was to rest on the mountain in the night and descend in the morning to grant an audience to the visitors. Muni Shri used to come down daily at 8.00 am. One day Muni Shri did not get down though it was late by one and a half hour of the scheduled time.
Anxiety of the people was rising. Well! Moments of waiting are always lengthy. People were perplexed and alarmed as to of a lion that wandered on the mountain (at night). At last people lost their patience and headed towards the mountain. On the way, they saw that Achharya Shri was coming down. One inquisitive Shravak asked “O Lord! Why are you so late today?”
Maharaj Shri kept mum. The other expressed his doubt out of curiosity, “Sometimes a lion visits the mountain. Did it happen so, Achharya Shri?” At last Achharya Shri had to break his silence, “A lion did come to me in the evening. It sat near me the whole night and went back a few moments ago.”
It seems that the king of the jungle had come to visit the king of ascetics. The magnanimous company of this lion-man was like a heavenly abode for the lion. Surrender of a lion at the feet of a non-violent monk had become a symbol of friendship.
The meeting of these two personalities full of valour and brilliance and their silent conversation which continued for the whole night was in fact a courtesy meeting of one king with the Other. One Shravak questioned, “Were you not afraid of that violent lion?” Smile of Achharya Shri itself was a reply.
A similar incident occurred on the mountain of Muktagiri. A lion used to come to nearby water-fall every day to drink water and Achharya Shri remained there absorbed in meditation.
Maharaj Shri told the Shravak, “What to fear? If it does not happen to be our former enemy (in some previous birth) and there is no trouble or attack from our side, then why will it attack us?”
A Non-violent person is always enriched with fearlessness and a feeling of friendship. Feelings of violence subside before him. The curse of sins, heat of passion and poverty (humility) do not stay near the saint.
A moralist has rightly said:“The Ganga destroys sins, the moon destroys heat and the ‘kalpviraksha’ (i.e. the heaven tree) destroys poverty but saints destroy all of them”.
