________________
I am the Soul
205
intellect. He collected a few glass beads and put them in another pouch with him. He stashed away the pouch with the gems in a quiet, secluded corner of the forest. Then he went about in the forest shouting, “I have gems with me, precious gems”, and running helter-skelter.
He came across a gang of highway robbers. They heard him and thought, “Looks like a mad fellow. But let us find out what he has got.” They detained him, snatched his pouch and looked into it, only to find glass beads. “Ha! A fool indeed. Leave him alone!” so saying they let him go. Soon the trader met another gang of robbers. The same story was repeated. Then the trader criss-crossed the jungle several times shouting 'Gems, Gems'. All the highway robbers took him for a mad man. When the trader felt he was safe enough, he quietly went to the spot where he had hidden the gems and retrieved that pouch and again went through the forest shouting as before.
Brothers! This is what you call protection of valuables. Once he realises the value, then man would even accept becoming insane. It does not matter if others consider you insane. Only those who have realised the value of the words of the Jineshwar and the advice of the Sadguru will delve deeper into it, will make the devoted effort to understand it. They will be prepared to forsake everything for the sake of that path, and in doing so, if the world considers them insane, or fools, they are not affected. The faith and devotion for the Prabhu that abounds the hearts of such mumukshu jivas and the proximity of the Prabhu which they experience, is such that they are not at all concerned with what the jivas, affected by the worldly affairs, have to say about them. They, in fact, say -
संसारी के छ रे भगतडां घेलां छे तमे घेलां न जाणजो रे, पभुने मन पे लां छे संसारी के छ रे भगतडां भंडा छे M ETT FUGT I, HFCHHN HOS BASTE....
Jain Educationa International
For Personal and Private Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org