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[The Saint Nandana & the Celestial life
are prevented from falling into the net of karmas, their mind becomes purer and concentrated, their heart becomes fearless and strong, senses are controlled, all the causes of karmic bondage are uprooted, and indolence never puts obstacles in their way, while they observe the vow of self-control and self-denial. To an unrestrained mind the way to self-control appears to be very circuitous, thorny and full of troubles, but practice makes it as straight and smooth as the royal road. One who has walked over this highway to self-control even for once, knows it for certain that life without it is. quite useless, Nandana Muni too followed this noble path till the end of his life. His guides were now chiefly Troubles, Calamities and Hardships, which he always welcomed as his most sincere friends. His very name Nandana (which means happiness) shows that it was impossible for him to be displeased or disgusted at the time of facing hardships or to shrug his shoulders at their arrival.
Anybody, who has made a good accumulation of charitable deeds done in previous lives, can rise to the position of a Tirthankara. this is not the privilege of any particular great man belonging to a particular caste, creed, or country, nor can this ever be. Any human being. whether a lay-man or a monk, whether a woman or a man of low class, can attain to Tirthankara-hood by following one of the twenty paths which are given below, for here the consideration is made for karmas and not for caste, creed, country or sex.
1. To listen to the instructions of, to keep unfaltering faith in and to worship most devotedly, the blessed Arhant who have gained a complete spiritual victory over all the senses and sensual pleasures who do not differentiate between themselves and living beings, who have put an end to all
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| SR No. | 002027 |
| Book Title | Bhagavana Mahavira |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | Chauthmal Maharaj |
| Publisher | Jainoday Pustak Prakashan Samiti Ratlam |
| Publication Year | 1942 |
| Total Pages | 630 |
| Language | English |
| Classification | Book_English, Story, & Biography |
| File Size | 12 MB |