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infinite knowledge, infinite vision, infinite charity, infinite gain, infinite enjoyment, infinite joy, infinite spiritual prowess and karmic destruction based righteousness and conduct manifest themselves in the spirit. Thus, the auspicious activities are also instrumental in full realisation of a living being's physical and spiritual potential. Once, he achieves this ultimate accomplishment, nothing remains to be gained by him, he becomes all accomplished. (pp. 143-44) Friendship is imbued with the feeling of wellness for all. It is devoid of selfishness or the desire for physical enjoyments. It is devoid of pride and when the pride melts, the feeling of own and other also melts. One's self becomes one with the others. As long as the duality between the self and the other remains, it is not possible to cultivate the feeling of affection or friendship. It is only when the self subsides and becomes one with the other and a feeling of selflessness sets in that the feeling of affection and friendship can arise. Where there is no pride, there is no desire, there is no possessiveness, there is no lust, there is no selfishness, and there is no delusion. Therefore, friendship is indicative of detached volitional disposition. (p. 121) In the Svetāmbara tradition, this belief exists to date, that auspicious activities of body, mind and speech are the means of karmic stoppage, but today it has not remained all pervading in the Digambara tradition. Some followers of the Digambara tradition may not believe in this precept now but in the days of yore this was believed by all in that tradition as well. The proofs of this assertion can be abundantly seen in the Dhavalā and Jaya Dhavalā commentaries written by Śrī Vīrasenācārya, a famous Ācārya of the Digambara tradition. (p. 131) Punya or meritorious pious acts do not hinder liberation but on the contrary they aid its achievement. Right vision is gained by a high rise of punya only. Right vision is impossible to gain without achieving merit to gain it. Such a merit is gained by
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Editor's Note
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