SUPREME FORGIVENESS

 

Once it so happened that when saint Tuka Ram had distributed all his belongings amongst the poor, one day the state of starvation arose in his home. His wife said, “What are you doing sitting idle here? Go and fetch a bundle of sugarcanes from the fields. We shall be able to pass the day anyhow by sucking them. Consequently, when Tuka Ram set out for home with a bundle of sugarcanes from the field; on the way beggars enveloped him and begged for sugarcanes. ” Tuka Ram gave one sugarcane each to every beggar. When he reached home, only one sugarcane was left with him. Seeing one sugarcane the hungry wife was enraged. She snatched the sugarcane from Tuka Ram’s hands and started beating him with it. As a result, the sugarcane broke down into two equal parts. Now her anger subsided. In spite of getting beatings from his wife, the calm and forgiving Tuka Ram spoke with a smile. “What a good wife! You have divided the sugarcane in two equal pieces. You suck one and I will suck the other.”

Seeing the infinite ocean of forgiveness and love in the midst of furiously raging fire of anger, tears rolled down from the eyes of the lady. Tuka Ram wiped off her tears with the fold of his turban, fed her whole of the sugarcane after peeling it. Howsoever cruel and angry a being may be, he becomes calm in the presence of a forgiver. Jain Acharyas have termed anger as the greatest enemy of human beings. If this enemy (anger) takes possession of a living being, it ruins all his virtues. It has been rightly said:

     Krodho he shatru prathamo naranam, dehsthito dehvinashnae

     Yatha stith kashtgato hi vahi, sa aiv vahivardahte ch kashtam

     Anger concealed in the body of a man becomes the cause of his own ruin, just as fire hidden in wood destroys itself. Likewise anger on getting enraged kills the angered one. In this universe there is no such devil as will devour his mother. But this devil anger first eats up that very heart which breeds it as a mother and later on it eats up others as well.

     On suppressing anger and enriching the soul through religion in the garb of Kshama is to ensure the path of Moksha i.e., salvation. It must be the goal of every living being. It alone is blissful.

     Krodhanalsmutpano mahadaha shaririram

     Nirdahati tapovritam, dharm dwepaynadiwat

     The heating effect of the fire of anger ruins penance. It becomes the cause of a man’s self-destruction, as that of Muni Depayan.

     In Soratha land there is a famous city named Dwarka, which had been rendered highly sacred by the birth of His Holiness Lord Nemi Nath, worshipped in all the three worlds. The rulers of that city were the ninth Narayana, Shri Krishna, and Balbhadra - sons of Vasudeva and cousins of Neminatha. One day Narayana and Balbhadra visited the religious conference (Samavsharan) of Lord Nemi Nath to pay their homage to the Lord. They were overwhelmed at heart on seeing the Lord. Their voice was exalted. Their whole body was thrilled, tears of joy burst out of their eyes. They paid due homage at the lotus feet of the Lord with great reverence and listened to His holy sermon sitting in the enclosure assigned to human beings. Balbhadra asked the Lord, “O Lord! How long will this Dwarka City founded under the holy guidance of Vasudeva and its wealth exist?”

     The Lord replied, “After twelve years Dwarka will be burnt to ashes. Intoxicated by drinking the Yaduvanshis will cause terrible calamity to Depayan Muni; as a result, on getting enraged Depayan Muni will become the cause for the destruction of Dwarka.” On hearing this prediction from the holy mouth of the world teacher (Jagat Guru), Balbhadra came to Dwarka and got all the wine pots thrown in the forest of the Girnar Mountain. Depayan also went away to some other place leaving Dwarka. But who can shut out fate? Despite making numerous efforts, the words of Lord Jinendra cannot be proved wrong or falsified. A little time prior to the completion of twelve years Depayan Muni had the misconception that twelve years had lapsed. Therefore, he returned to Dwarka and sat down in meditation near the Girnar Mountain. At that very time, the Yaduvanshi Princes were returning after merry-making in the Girnar Mountain. Due to scorching summer heat, rendered restless with thirst they started searching for water all around. Meanwhile, they glanced water of the rainy season collected in a pond. Seeing this, the thirsty Princes began to drink the pond water. After some time they got intoxicated and started running and frisking to and fro. for the water in the pond was mixed with wine thrown by Balbhadra. While they were strolling they caught sight of the meditating Muni. Seeing him their anger knew no bounds for any reason, as if butter had been poured into fire. They started talking among themselves, “Oh! He is that very Depayan due to whom Dwarka will be burnt to ashes one day. He is a devil.” Saying this, they started hurling stones on him. Taking it a calamity befallen on him, the holy saint sat unperturbed in a calm posture. Later on when the royal princes started causing still greater torture, the holy saint lost his temper. Sparks of anger started emitting from his eyes. When Balbhadra got this information, he at once rushed to Depayan Muni and apologized. But the anger of the Muni could not be subsided. Overpowered by unbearable anger, the Muni died with a malicious feeling and was reborn as Vayanter Deva as a result his penance. Recollecting this incident of his previous birth through ill-begotten knowledge (Ku-vadhi Gyan), he put Dwarka city aflame out of anger and due to fierce flames Dwarka city was burnt to ashes.

From the above example it is established that the person who indulges in anger destroys himself and others as well. Therefore, it is wise to keep away from anger or shun anger. Anger instigates bitterness, shatters friendship, disfigures our composure, converts wisdom into folly and destroys fame and glory. This anger is a mental excitement. As soon as one gets excited, one becomes bereft of right thoughts due to which the power of reasoning and thinking is lost. Therefore, to live as a human being, it is essential for a man to be forbearing. No enemy can win over the man who is armed with the weapon of forbearance. If someone inflicts pain to a person practicing forbearance, in the end he suffers defeat.

A wealthy person named Daya Chand used to live in Ujjain City. He was forbearing, benevolent and a very light hearted man. His wife was named Akshama, but she was Akshama by name only. There was not even a bit of forbearance (Kshama) in her heart. In truth, she was a highly callous and ill-tempered lady. Right from dawn to dusk it was her inevitable routine to quarrel with every member of her family. She used to speak ill of her parent-in-laws in presence of her husband Daya Chand, and would say, “I will not live with your mother as she abuses and insults me.” Addressing her the learned and well bread Daya Chand said, “My parents are your parents as well; serving them is your uppermost duty. The anger of elderly persons subsides on remaining humble. All become subordinate to a humble person. Everyone can be overpowered through forbearance (Kshama) and politeness. Therefore, be forgiving and justify your name Akshama.” On hearing these words of advice from her husband, the fire of anger of Akshma got all the more inflamed. She started hurling filthy abuses on her husband too. But the forgiving Seth did not utter a single word. At mid-day when Seth Daya Chand came home for meals, his wife started murmuring in anger. Daya Chand took meals calmly and then set out for his shop. As soon as he came down from his house and began to walk on the road, the wife Sethani threw garbage over him from above. Going upstairs, the Seth said to his wife with usual smile, “Oh, dear! Daily you simply thundered but today you have rained as well.” Seeing the calm and quiet nature of her husband, her anger vanished and lying down at his feet she apologized for her fault. This example shows that an angry person can be made calm, polite and full of reverence only by the weapon of forgiveness (Kshama). Therefore, one is duty bound, to try to befriend an angry man or an enemy with love rather than being angry on him.

     The ornament of a man is his nature; the ornament of nature is virtue; the ornament of virtue is knowledge, the ornament of knowledge is forgiveness (Kshama). It has been said,

     Narasyabharan rupam, rupasyabharan guna,

     Gunrsyabharan gyanam, gyanasyabharan Kshama

     Whenever the saints endowed with forbearance perform repentance (pratikraman) and meditation (Samayika), they read the following couplet:

     Khamami savjivarnam, save jiva khamantu me

     miti me sav bhuteshu, veram majham rn kernvi