The Samadhi (Trance) of Rudrappa
Chapter-20
The deeper the attachment more is the fear of death.
A person keeping attachments is naive.
Only a naive is fastened with the strings of attachment and delusion. He does not want to keep himself aloof from them.
Death separates a being from its present form of life so it is always dreadful for the ignorant person.
Meritorious people armed with samyaktava and charitra (right-belief and right conduct) do not fear death and conquer it through ‘Samadhi Maran.’ He does not feel attachment with the body at the time of ‘Samadhi Maran’ as he has knowledge about separation of body from the soul with the help of “Science of Discrimination” and remains self-awakened crushing the external body and inner ‘Kashayen’ (decoctions).
Monks aspire to abandon the body with ‘Samadhi’. They make their life pure by this wonderful art of conquering death with ‘Samadhi’ just as gold becomes pure by passing through the fire.
Meritorious vitragi person abandons diseased/incapable- incompetent old body by accepting ‘Samadhi (trance)’ just as the snake takes off its slough. Neither does he keep any mental affection in separating the body nor any malice in leaving it while confounded by diseases.
Shrimant Rudrappa, a follower of Lingayat religion, was an intimate friend of Achharya Shri of his grihasth (house-holder) days. Rudrappa, a sincere observer of vows was a great pandit and scholar of Vedant. He was utterly blemish less and a modest person bearing a good moral character.
He used to remain engrossed in silent reading in his home being indifferent from mun-see Achharya Shri (when Achharya Shri was a grihasth), he used to come to him to talk on metaphysical matters and listened to his teachings very quietly and seriously. Selfless friendship exists only between two people having similar ideology. Both were enlightened and simple by nature.
Although Rudrappa was learned in a different philosophy yet there was ample forbearance\ tolerance in him in respect of religious matters.
Once, the dreadful disease of plague broke out in Bhoj village where Rudrappa was living. Because of the severity of the plague, Shri Bhimgonda Patil, the father of Shanti Sagar Ji arrived;at the house of his father-in-law, in Yamal village, along with his children and wife, Smt. Satyavati Ji. After some days Shri Satyagonda (grihasth name of Achharya Shri) heard that Rudrappa was suffering from plague. Severity of the plague was at its peak. (The nodes of the plague also appeared).
People were so alarmed by the dreadfulness of plague that they did not dare to go to see their own ailing relatives. People used to be afraid of this infectious disease just as they were afraid of the tiger. When Satyagonda Ji learned this news of his friend’s illness, he stealthily went to Rudrappa without caring of any consequences. He who is filled with the feeling of well-being for others, fear eludes him Seeing the deplorable condition of Rudrappa, he thought it was his duty to do something good for him in the last moments of his life.
Rudrappa was filled with extreme feelings of affection seeing his friend near him. Achharya Maharaj told very affectionately, “Rudrappa! Now your time is near. Now accept “Samadhi Maran”. You very well know that the soul is separate from the body. So now relinquish attachment to the body. Be self awakened and recite the name of “Arihanta”.
Hearing these words of his friend, Rudrappa began to recite “Arihanta” He was filled with reverence towards Jainism hearing the kind voice of his friend. He moved his head in acceptance that the Jain
frlim anH Tain errinhime am The mist of his mithyatva (false belief, delusion) and “Moha ” (attachment) began to fade away.
He began to chant the name of “Arihanta” with reverence towards Jainism. The body of Rudrappa was becoming weaker and his words feeble. But the vibration of his lips seemed to be constantly reciting the name of “Arihanta”. Achharya Shri was continuously instructing him.
After some time Rudrappa was no more. Only his lifeless body remained there. Shanti Sagar Ji Maharaj, the supporter of Samadhi Moron, showed his friend the right path and became the cause for his “Sadgati ” (salvation). Who carries on such kind of friendship nowadays?
Nowadays friendship is done with a view to grind one’s own axes.