Lord Mahāvīra
Mahavira (540 BCE–468 BCE), also known as Vardhamana, was the twenty-fourth and last tirthankara of Jainism. He was born into a royal family in what is now Bihar, India. At the time of his birth, the whole town marked prosperity in term of agriculture, health, wealth and wisdom. It is for this reason that he was named as Vardhman (Hindi : Vridhi) by his parents. At the age of 30 he left his home in pursuit of spiritual awakening (Diksha). For the next 12 and a half years he practiced intense meditation and severe penance, after which he achieved Kevala Jnana or enlightenment. He travelled all over India for the next 30 years to teach his philosophy which is based on ahimsa, satya, asteya, brahmacharya and aparigraha.
Mahavira attained nirvana after his physical death at the age of 72. He was one of the most popular propagators of Jainism, and he is regarded as a reformer of Jainism rather than its founder.
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“Can you hold a red-hot iron rod in your hand merely because some one wants you to do so? Then, will it be right on your part to ask others to do the same thing just to satisfy your desires? If you cannot tolerate infliction of pain on your body or mind by others' words and actions, what right have you to do the same to others through your words and deeds?Do unto others as you would like to be done by. Injury or violence done by you to any life in any form, animal or human, is as harmful as it would e if caused to your own self.”