________________
Sans the Sadguru's advice
Devoted practice on the three-fold path awakens the infinite bliss lying within our soul. Only when the self believes that “bliss is my natural disposition', can it naturally feel this bliss.
So many times the jiva has understood and accepted the topic of five senses. It has not refrained from enjoying itself in sensual pleasures, through all its senses, whatever be the species it was born in. Why! At the beginning of life form on Earth, it only had the sense of touch, but even there it enjoyed itself. It never learnt of renunciation and today even as a human the feeling of renunciation is not awakening, this is but the proof of its being habituated to indulgence in pleasures for lives together.
But the jiva has to understand that the bliss that is there in renunciation is not to be found in indulgence. This understanding and the subsequent behaviour is available only to humans. In no other species, do the jivas have a scope of this understanding. Only when this understanding arises, does the jiva realise that 'my natural disposition is not indulgence but the state of experiencing eternal bliss' and makes an effort to believe it.
The 'Atmasiddhi Shastra' contains an order for a great effort to know the Self - True form, and for that surrender to a Sadguru and in that surrender let there be total dedication, complete faith in him. This faith alone will bring deliverance to a jiva. If we cannot do anything else, we should at least pour the entire strength of the faith that is resident in every section of our atma, on to the feet of the Guru; the atma will rise on its own, then nothing remains to be done.
Our faith is going all waste. A bit in this and a bit in that and a bit there too. We are in a confused state of 'if its a stone, it must be God'. This blind faith bears no fruit. When faith is dedicated to only one, its mass is enhanced, its strength is increased. It can be instrumental in the rise of our Atma.
Jain Educationa international
For Personal and Private Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org