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14. Anand - The Art of Living
Dy now our four-fold sangh had more shravaks and shravikas
(Lay people) than sadhus and sadhvis. Nevertheless, most people were still under the wrong impression that one has to leave home and become a monk or nun if they wanted to follow Sraman Dharma. Probably this is why an enthused business man hurried to the podium today to ask a question of Bhagwan Mahavir.
This was our first visit to Vanijyagram. Bhagwan Mahavir was giving a sermon, and like everywhere else, the whole town was present. Everyone was attentively listening to Mahavir's message. Bhagwan's topic today was ‘Sadhana'. He was saying,
"Anyone can achieve moksha through sadhana. However, first we need to be aware of the Self and must have full trust in it. Self is not this body; it is the ‘Me' in our body. 'Me' is different from this body. We can see our body, touch it, feel it, see it taking birth, growing and dying. Self on the other hand is trapped in the body. It is eternal, and it is independent of this physical body. We achieve everlasting happiness only when we 'know' the Self. Knowing Self is the same as realizing the ultimate truth. It is the state of bliss and happiness.
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