________________
The Self Realization
The experience of the Self in which the Soul's infatuation is totally destroyed or is reduced to the minimum is called the condition of spiritual enlightenment of the Soul. In the absence of such experience one who believes himself as enlightened is in delusion and nothing else. Infatuation is binding the Soul and a disturbed mind is found in a deluded Soul. Knowledge of the Self removes all delusions of the Soul.
सकळ जगत ते एंठवत, अथवा स्वप्न समान ।
ते कहीए ज्ञानीदशा, बाकी वाचाज्ञान ॥१४०।। Sakala jagata te enthavat, athava svapna samana, Te Kahiye jnanidasha, baki vachajnana. 140 The seer's state is thus described, The world to him is like a dream, Or left-off food when satisfied, The rest are lipwise, not supreme. 140
That Soul is called enlightened who loses all interest in the whole world and regards it either as useless as a left off food or purely as a dream. All so-called knowledge not backed by the spirit of non-attachment is meaningless talk.
Such enlightenment is very difficult to experience though easy to talk. The human body is very impure and the enlightened Soul will have nothing to do with it. The interest in the body is due to ignorance and infatuation. The Soul is bound by physical interest and bodily attachment. By non-attachment it is realized or liberated. The only state worthy of our attachment is the state of an enlightened Soul, or one that can develop love and interest for an enlightened soul. Even the best dream is still a dream and it should be left in order to enjoy wakeful life. The enlightened Soul feels that things of the world though of long standing gradually or suddenly
105 For Private & Personal Use Only
Jain Education International
www.jainelibrary.org