Bhagvan Mahavir (Apostle of Ahimsa)

This year Mahavir Jayanti (Auspicious day or JanmaKalyanak) was celebrated on 25 April 2021. Celebrations were held in India and in many countries.
Government rules will not allow large gatherings and people will celebrate in very small groups or just stay home and listen to the discourses by using the modern technology. Jain organisations in the UK have arranged programmes by using virtual platforms (like Zoom, YouTube or other media). OneJAIN organised a programme on 18 April at 4 PM which can be viewed on YouTube. Let us now see who this great and divine personality was and why people follow His ideology.
Mahavir was the apostle of the philosophy of non-violence and peace. He believed in the ideals of living in harmony with the nature and cutting down our own material desires and possessions. He is the twenty-fourth and the last Tirthankara of the Jains.
He was born more than 2,500 years ago, in a small town near Vaishali in North India. Almost all Jain historians now accept that he was born in 599 BCE. His father's name was Siddhartha. His mother's name was Trishla. According to the Shvetambar tradition, mother Trishla saw fourteen dreams (saw fourteen auspicious objects/ things in her dream). She saw: A lion, an elephant, a bull, the goddess of wealth (Laxmi), a garland, the moon, the sun, a flag, a jar (kumbh), a lake full of lotuses, a sea of milk, a viman (aeroplane), a heap of jewels, and a flame. The king and queen were full of joy, as they knew that the child who was to born would be a perfect child with supreme virtues. The dream readers or astrologers also confirmed this and said:- 'When a great saviour, prophet or great victor of wars enters the womb, then his mother sees fourteen auspicious dreams. The child will become brave, he will expand his territory, and will be a great victor in battle-fields OR
He will be a Jina, a religious and spiritual master, leader of the three worlds and a winner of all aspects in religion.
A child was born on the thirteenth day of the bright half of the month Chaitra. His name was Vardhaman who came to be known as Mahavir (Great and brave) as he had conquered his inner passions and gained victory over all attachments. This is more than a victory in the battlefield. Though born as a prince, Mahavir left his royal household, gave up his worldly possessions and became a monk when he was 30 years old. He spent twelve and a half years in meditation practising non-violence and self-control. He obtained infinite knowledge when he was 42. He spent thirty years in teaching the principles of Ahimsa (non violence) samyam (self control) and tap (austerities).
He preached the principles of Jainism, as we know them now. He said. “Everyone wants pleasure and happiness, no one wants misery but those who are ignorant and attached to worldly pleasures suffer again and again. One who knows other people's misery does not pursue worldly pleasures and avoids sinful acts”
Those who can avoid the bondage of sinful acts can obtain liberation. His message is simple "No one should try to obtain happiness at the expense of others". Mahavir recognised the fact (or rather he was the first one in human history to say) that plants have life and that they feel pain when cut. This was his message of living in harmony with nature, all birds, animals and fellow human beings. He died (Nirvana or Moksha) in 527 BC, when he was 72 years old. Jainism recognises the sanctity of all life. As a community, Jains run panjrapoles, which look after sick and invalid cattle. They feed hungry animals and birds as part of their feelings of Jiv-daya (kindness towards all living beings)