Guidelines to Mahavir Darshan

SR No.: 006758
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Satshrutseva Sadhna Kendra
Publisher: Satshrut Seva Sadhna Kendra
Publication Year: 1970
Total Pages: 70
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 4 MB

Page 40

FORGIVENESS (KSHAMA)
(2) Experimenting with Forgiveness in Daily Life :
One who has firmly resolved that his soul is of the nature of forgiveness, has to remain awake and alert when anger overtakes him. He should then ponder in this way. "This anger is not found in my original nature, it results only from the rise of Karma. Why should I, then, give place to this extraneous emotion in my soul?" "This anger is unholy, an enemy to my nature and ever leads to sorrow in this world. Moreover, the Karma that will shape itself due to anger will again come to rise and lead me to sorrow in future. I, having power to recognise the anger as soon as it results or is likely to result, throw it off and reverts to my basic nature of forgiveness and equanimity and remain stayed in the state of awareness. By constantly practising in this way the vigility of wisdom, a great soul-force gets created in one's self, which separates perversion of anger from one's true self. With this soul-force, one gets firmly established in samadhi, a form of unique forgiveness. Such a person is not enveloped by the bondage of Karma, but experiences unique peace and unparalleled coolness. Resolve, therefore, O Great Souls! that constant and patient experimental training through a state of awakening of the Soul, is precisely the right way to cultivate the virtue of forgiveness and to conquer anger.
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PART IV 31
Just as a man resolves to abstain from food at the time of fast or takes a vow, similarly, one who wants to root out anger, should take a vow of training everyday-" I shall not subject myself to anger today." He should also fix up a small penance so that mistakes committed everyday can be counted. If a man trains himself for some time in this way with alertness, his nature gets revolutionised. Such is the great power of this small vow, and hence, its great utility to the sadhaka.
Obstacles in the Sadhana of Forgiveness :
It is possible that a sadhaka will come across certain obstacles in the present age in which most of the people are averse to Dharma. But a Sadhaka should know that such insults, obstacles etc., coming from these people averse to religion, form a good opportunity for him to minimise his earlier Karma. From some view point, it is