Natural Vs Conditioned Beings🔗

One important thing: this is a law of nature; this happens only with natural beings, never with so-called conditioned human beings. Conditioned human beings have moved away from nature, they have moved away from the Truth. If this is Truth, Mahāvīra shouldn't have been stoned, Buddha shouldn't have been poisoned.

See, Patanjali says, 'Ahiṃsā pratiṣṭhāyāṃ tat vaira-tyāgaḥ', means when you are established in nonviolence, enmity disappears in front of you, but this is only with the natural things, this can happen with animals or people who are living in a natural way like tribals.

There is a beautiful story in Buddha's life of His meeting Angulimala:

Angulimala was a big serial killer. He killed 999 people and cut their thumbs and made a garland for himself. He was living in a forest. Buddha was advised not to enter into the forest because Angulimala was living there. Buddha said, 'No, it is ok,' and he walked.

The story says, Angulimala saw Buddha and was about to kill him. Buddha said, 'Wait, you can kill me, but answer a few questions.' Buddha asked a few questions, Angulimala was not only not able to answer them but he was transformed and became a disciple of Buddha. This can happen with Angulimala, because he didn't have any religious beliefs, any social conditionings. He was not corrupted; he was with nature. He killed just out of His animal instincts.

Understand, a person who kills because of his animal instincts can be transformed. But a person who kills because of his belief systems is difficult to transform that is the ultimate corruption, the worst thing. -Gandhi

When you really establish yourself in ahimsa you become enlightened, and even devatas, the angels, worship you, respect you and they offer their very being and surrender at your feet. There are so many stories of devatas coming and respecting and serving the enlightened beings.

Ahimsa is such a dharma, actually you can live without any dharma if you hold on to just ahimsa - not hurting others physically, mentally and verbally. Just this one dharma is enough, nothing else is necessary. Be very clear, 'I will not hurt others physically, mentally or verbally.'

I think the greatness of Mahāvīra is that he took this ahimsa to the extreme -His followers don't even do agriculture because it is related to killing the plants which do have life. Forget about the question of non-vegetarian food, they don't even kill plants, and they even tie a cloth in front of their face, so that the insects or worms or bacteria in the air don't die when they speak.

Mahāvīra has taken ahimsa to the extreme - they do not wear silk, they do not wear shoes, they do not encourage directly or indirectly any industry based on violence. Anything based on violence is not encouraged by the followers of Mahāvīra. All they do directly or indirectly is only towards ahimsa, nonviolence. When you really enter into ahimsa, aparigraha, the next step starts happening.

Attachment is Possessiveness

Let us see that sutra, the aparigraha sutra: