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First Lecture.Obeisance to the Arhats! Obeisance to the Liberated Ones! Obeisance to the Religious Guides! Obeisance to the Religious Instructors! Obeisance to all Saints in the World! This fivefold obeisance, destroying all sins, is of all benedictions the principal benediction. In that period, in that age lived the Venerable Ascetic Mahavira, the five (most important moments of whose life happened) when the moon was in conjunction with the asterism Uttaraphalguni; to wit, in Uttaraphalguni he descended (from heaven), and having descended (thence), he entered the womb (of Devananda); in Uttaraphalguni he was removed from the womb (of Devananda) to the womb (of Trisala); in Uttaraphalguni he was born; in Uttaraphalguni, tearing out his hair, he left the house and entered the state of houselessness; in Uttaraphalguni he obtained the highest knowledge and intuition, called Kevala, which is infinite, supreme, unobstructed, unimpeded, complete, and perfect. But in Svati the Venerable One obtained final liberation. (1) End of the First Lecture. |