Way of Life Part 4

SR No.: 006516
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Bhadraguptasuri
Publisher: Vishvakalyan Prakashan Trust Mehsana
Publication Year: 1986
Total Pages: 430
Language: English
Classification: Book_English & Religion
File Size: 17 MB

Page 273

DISCOURSE 92
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gathering karmas or for destroying them. If the propensities and activities of your mind are impure or ignoble, you will gather sinful karmas and if they are pure and sublime, your karmas get destroyed. If your action of showing devotion to the Paramatma or the Gurumaharaj happens to cause some violence to jivas, unintended by you or unknown to you, that is not violence. On the contrary, if your actions are non-violent but if your mental propensities are impure and ignoble then that non-violence is not non-violence. Therefore, without any fear or hesitation you build temples for the Paramatma and worship him. The Swaroophimsa that you commit by these actions is washable. The sinful karmas accruing from Swaroophimsa can be washed with the sublime water of your devotion for the Paramatma.
You carry out so much contemplation on non-violence. Now, you have to discard your doubts and misconceptions if there are any.
From the Audience: If that is so, why do some traditions oppose the construction of temples and the worship of idols ?
Maharajashri : Some traditions oppose them because they do not contemplate deeply on those subjects with intelligence and with the knowledge of Dharmagranthas. They oppose such things and they do not give up their wrong notions but if a man thinks of these things deeply with incisive intelligence and if he makes an indepth study of Dharmagranthas he can get rid of his prejudices. Those people do not respect even the views of such great scriptural scholars and men of mighty spiritual attainments as Acharyashri Haribhadrasooriji. If people study the granthas written by such enlightened men, they will surely realise the usefulness of temples and idol worship. The misfortune is that those people do not even respect all the 45 agamas. Moreover, they do not also believe in the soundness of the commentaries and interpretations written on the Agamas. That means, they do not accept the authenticity of the Panchangiagama. (The original sloka with four kinds of interpretation such as 1. Bhasya, 2. Churni, 3. Niryukti, 4. Tika.) They under