Anger is a very strong emotion. All of us have felt the pangs of anger in various degrees at some or other times. I remember reading somewhere that anger and fear are deeply related. We carry various types of fears too inside us. Wish we all can overcome them slowly.

Today’s is Mahavir Jayanti. Bhagwan Mahavir was 24th thirthankara. A thirthankara is like a colossus ship which helps trillions of souls cross over the furious oceans of misery associated with cycles of life and death. Sharing this inspiring story from the life of Bhagwan Mahavir.

The Meeting

This is a story about Thirthankara Bhagawän Mahävir. One day he was going to the village of Vachala. On his way, he would have to go through a forest where a poisonous snake named Chandkaushik lived. It was said that Chandkaushik could kill a person or an animal just by casting an evil and angry glance at them. All the people of the villages near that forest lived in
absolute fear.

When the villagers learned about Mahävir’s intention to pass through the forest, they begged him to take another route. However, Mahävir had no fear. Mahavira practiced supreme non-violence. He had no hatred towards anyone and considered fear and hatred as violence to oneself. He was at peace with himself and all other living beings. There was a glow of serenity and compassion on his face. He convinced the people that everything would be all right and he proceeded to the forest where Chandkaushik lived.

After a while, he noticed the beautiful green grass fading. The forest looked like a desert. The trees and plants were dead so he thought that this must be near the area where Chandkaushik lived. Mahävir stopped there to meditate. Peace, tranquility and compassion flowed from Mahävir’s heart for the well-being of each and every living .

Chandkaushik sensed that someone had come near his land and so he came out of his burrow. To his surprise, he saw a man standing there. He became furious, thinking, “How dare he come this close to my land?” Chandkaushik started hissing to threaten Lord Mahävir. He did not understand Lord Mahävir’s tranquility. The giant snake became angry, came closer to the Lord and swayed his head, ready to strike. He saw no sign that this man would be threatened or would run away. This made Chandkaushik angrier and he spat poisonous venom towards Lord Mahävir three times. The venom neither affected Lord Mahävir nor disturbed his meditation.

So Chandkaushik became even more irritated and bit Lord Mahävir’s toe. When he looked at the man again, he was surprised to see that not only had nothing happened to him, but instead
of blood, milk like substance flowed from his toe. Bhagawän Mahävir opened his eyes. He was calm and there was no fear or anger on his face. He looked at Chandkaushik and said, “Calm down, Calm down, Chandkaushik. Realize what you are doing.” There was love and affection in those words. Chandkaushik calmed down and felt as if he had seen this kind of monk before.

Bhagwan Mahavira’s influence made him absolutely calm and under influence of Mahavira’s presence and talks he could see reason behind his anger. He was able to recall his past two lives.

The Regression

Chandkaushik recalled that he was a well learned monk but there was absent of equanimity in his spiritual pursuit. He had a young disciple. One day they both went for alms. Unknowingly the head monk mashed a frog. The child monk told him for repentance for that mistake. The head monk’s pride stopped him to do so and he mentally thought, “How can this child monk dare to say me that!” Again at the time of night the child monk reminded him for repentance of killing the frog. Now the head monk loses his mental balance and decided to strike the child monk by a stick. So he ran after him to strike him but in the darkness he crashed with a pillar and died in a state of anger.

In his next birth he became a monk and lived in a forest. Due to earlier merits, he also possessed a huge farm and used to eat only fruits from his farm and did austerities. He brought his previous birth’s angry nature in this birth too. Some boys used to steal fruits from his farm and he was always in rage for the boys. One day he decided to catch some boys and punish them so he lurked behind a tree and waited for them. He was holding an axe and as soon as he got chance he rushed toward those boys but unfortunately he fell down and his own axe pierced into his head and he died in agony. As a result in his current birth he became a snake who could kill anyone by looking at them by its ferocious glance!

Chandkaushik realized what anger and ego from his last two lives had done to him. He bowed his head respectfully to the Lord. Further, Chandkaushik peacefully retreated to his hole with his head inside while portion of his body remained outside the hole.

After a while when the people came to know that Chandkaushik was no longer harmful to anyone, they came to see him out of curiosity. They saw him lying quietly. Some started worshipping him by offering milk and food. However, some were still furious because he had killed their loved ones. They threw stones and beat him with wooden sticks. Blood, milk, and food attracted ants. Chandkaushik willingly suffered the biting and beating and remained at peace with no trace of anger. He died after a few days. The self-restraint and control of his feelings destroyed many of his bad Karmas. Therefore, at the end of his life he was born in heaven as a result and set the direction of his future lives on correct path.

source: world wide web