I am The Soul Part 02

SR No.: 006791
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Tarulatabai Mahasati
Publisher: Shri Gujarati Shwetambar Sthanakwasi Jain Association
Total Pages: 466
Language: English, Hindi
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 18 MB

Page 355

What shall I offer at the Prabhu's feet...
As the jiva progresses in the devoted pursuit of the three gems, it goes on becoming more and more humble. It begins to realise the value of the benevolence of the benevolent more and more and its self becomes desirous of absolving itself of the burden of the benevolent one's debt.
In practice, people experienced on the ethical path keep saying 'never forget any one's debt’. And how far do they go! Not even the debt of a person who has helped remove a thorn from your foot should be forgotten. So how can the benevolent Gurudev, who has helped you change the path in the spiritual field and brought the jiva that was on the wrong path from infinite time on to the right path, be ever forgotten?
Niscaya Naya may well say that nobody can do anything to anybody, that a jiva can become a siddha after becoming free of all karma with its own ability. Yet without a proper motivation jiva cannot proceed on the path of progress. The biggest motivation for the jiva in its spiritual progress is that of the Sadgurudev. How can this be denied? The jiva certainly needs a guide to steer it. Of course, the steps on the path have to be taken by the jiva; the guide is not going to walk instead of it. But the jiva wandering in darkness does need someone to point the way.
Think! Bahubali attained kevaljnana through severe penance. But had Emperor Bharat not motivated him, he would perhaps not have gone on the path of spirituality. Bahubali too had the desire for the Kingdom, which is why he was prepared for a war with Bharat. Had Bharat felt that, “I have already acquired a great kingdom. Bahubali is my own brother. He may as well enjoy his own kingdom', then Bahubali would not have performed such a penance to attain siddhi. The great motivation that took Bahubali on to the path of devoted pursuit was Bharat. Of course, it cannot be denied that the upadan indeed was his own.