Life of Shrimad Rajchandra

SR No.: 007626
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Manu Doshi
Publisher: Manu Doshi
Total Pages: 126
Language: English
Classification: Book_English & Rajchandra
File Size: 796 KB

Page 10

"Whatever happens, whatever misery befalls, whatever hardships and affliction may have to be borne, whatever diseases may have to be faced, whatever problems may come across, whether the remaining lifetime be for a moment and whether the circumstances be unfavorable, yet that has to be done. There is no alternative. That reply comes from within and that appears to be the right one.
"I do not want the ever-changing tendency of mind. For some time I want nothing but the emptiness; if that is not possible, I want nothing but the saintly people, if that is not possible, want nothing but contact of the saints; if that is not possible, I want nothing but the noble character; if that is not possible, I want nothing but the total absorption in devotion to omniscient Lords; if that is not possible, I do not want to ask for anything.
"The scriptures can mislead in absence of insight; meditation turns out to be eccentric in absence of the right contact; talks of absolutism do not reach the ultimate end in absence of the saintly guidance, the worldly tendencies cannot lead to the top of universe. It is difficult to gain true detachment without renouncing the world.
"Is it wrong? Whatever wandering has occurred by now, why not take a vow to give it up? That can be done. Isn't that amazing! That is okay for the time being, see later."
Moreover, in a letter of 1893 he mentions:
"Lord Tirthankars have very appropriately described the soul the way it can be verbally presented while resorting to its true nature. We offer obeisance to those Lords leaving aside all other expectations.
"We offer obeisance to those words of Lords, which led to devotion towards the saintly persons by virtue of contemplating over the various scriptural texts.
"While thinking about the soul from different points of views, it is convincingly noticed that the soul cannot be comprehended without understanding it from those, who abide within the true state of soul. We offer obeisance to the path of Lord Tirthankars, which provided that convincing faith
"The soul could not be realized in spite of thinking about it from the multiple points of views, in spite of heavily endeavoring for that by resorting to Yog and other means. The words of Lord Tirthankars are meant only for explaining how the realization can occur at ease. We therefore offer obeisance to those words."
In a subsequent letter of the same year he writes:
"Welcome are the times, which have witnessed the events of enlightened beings and the most welcome are such places. With utmost humility and for all the time, I bow to the listening, to the subjects of listening and to those deeply devoted to it. I devotedly offer obeisance to the dedication within the Self, to the contemplation, to the words of enlightened beings dealing with Self, to the books of those beings, to the precepts of those proceeding on the right path and to the unprecedented nature thereof. I am still earnestly looking for resorting to that devotion with uninterrupted incantation and total absorption. That earnestness, however, virtually fades in view of the queer locations, queer approaches of the people, troublesome situations and such other circumstances existing at present. Let it be as God may will."
Shrimad has thus presented his experience of recollecting the earlier lives by virtue of the capability to know the previous lives.
Apart from that, he has mentioned about recollection of previous lives in several letters. For instance, he writes in the beginning of Bhävanäbodh, which was written in 1886: