Start the practice of self-control with some penance; begin with fasting.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the importance of self-discipline and making sacrifices to achieve personal growth.
Mahavira suggests that self-control is fundamental to personal development and that practicing self-discipline can begin with simple acts of sacrifice, such as fasting. This approach not only helps in overcoming desires but also paves the way for deeper introspection and spiritual advancement.
In practice
In a wellness seminar, one might quote Mahavira to encourage participants to embrace fasting as a way to practice self-control.
If one undertakes retrospection of the day's events, one must do it regularly at the appointed hour, not fitfully, not doing it today, neglecting to do it tomorrow and the day after and then taking it up again on the fourth day. Such irregular practice is not conducive to the confirmation of the habit of retrospection.
If you want to cultivate a habit, do it without any reservation, till it is firmly established. Until it is so confirmed, until it becomes a part of your character, let there be no exception, no relaxation of effort.
Attachment and aversion are the root cause of karma, and karma originates from infatuation. Karma is the root cause of birth and death, and these are said to be the source of misery. None can escape the effect of their own past karma.
Anger begets more anger, and forgiveness and love lead to more forgiveness and love.
Modes are infinite, and laws are infinite.
Eating constitutes the greatest obstacle to self-control; it gives rise to indolence.
Believe nothing because it is written in books. Believe nothing because wise men say it is so. Believe nothing because it is religious doctrine. Believe it only because you yourself know it to be true.
You remember that my great vision came to me when I was only nine years old, and you have seen that I was not much good for anything until after I had performed the horse dance near the mouth of the Tongue River during my eighteenth summer.
Abundance is scooped from abundance yet abundance remains.
We're receiving information from all the planes of our consciousness all the time, but we don't acknowledge their existence; we treat the information as static, as noise.
You are in charge of your own attitude whatever others do or circumstances you face. The only person you can control is yourself...worry more about your attitude than your aptitude or lineage.
To be beautiful means to be yourself. You donβt need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself.
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