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The Jain lineage includes 24 Tirthankaras, or Beings who share Their enlightenment with others. The Tirthankaras’ teachings comprise the Agam sutras, which are the holy scriptures of Jainism. The 24th and last Tirthankara was Lord Mahavira, whose name means “Great Hero.” Born into a royal family in 599 BC, Prince Mahavira decided as a young man to pursue a solitary spiritual life. After 12 years of intensive meditation, He attained kevala jnana, or the highest wisdom. Supreme Master Ching Hai has offered tribute to the spiritual greatness of Lord Mahavira, as during lectures given in Taiwan, also known as Formosa, on various occasions. “I don’t know if anyone in the history of mankind could have done or could be doing or will be doing such an asceticism, such a sacrifice like the Lord Mahavira. We really salute Him and are grateful - to all that He had to endure for enlightenment, for the sake of others. All these sufferings are not for naught. They would benefit the world in some way or another, even without the Lord Mahavira knowing or even without the world people knowing or being grateful for.” Eleventh Lecture The Very Learned “He who is ignorant of the truth, egoistical, greedy, without self-discipline, and who talks loosely, is called ill-behaved and void of learning. There are five causes which render wholesome discipline impossible: egoism, delusion, carelessness, illness, and idleness. The eight causes of the discipline called virtue, namely: not to be fond of mirth, to control one's self, not to speak evil of others, not to be without discipline, not to be of wrong discipline, not to be covetous, not to be choleric, to love the truth; for they influence the discipline called virtue. A monk who is liable to the following fourteen charges, is called ill-behaved, and does not reach Nirvana: If he is frequently angry; if he perseveres in his wrath; if he spurns friendly advice; if he is proud of his learning; if he finds fault with others; if he is angry even with friends; if he speaks evil even of a good friend behind his back; if he is aggressive in his assertions; if he is malicious, egoistical, greedy, without self-discipline; if he does not share with others; if he is always unkind: then he is called ill-behaved.He who always acknowledges his allegiance to his teacher, who has religious zeal and ardor for study, who is kind in words and actions, deserves to be instructed.”
