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Letter 13
Prameyatva Attribute
Letter 13
Dear Reena & Mona,
81
January 10, 1995.
Blessings & Best Wishes.
I was happy to learn from your letters that after knowing nature of the substances through the knowledge of its attributes of Astitva, Vastutva and Dravyatva, you are eager to know more about it.
Here is the couplet regarding it
The enthusiasm of the teacher or the narrator magnifies manyfold when one sees the strong desire and eagerness and interest of the reader or student to know more and more. Therefore I always appreciate any reactions from the readers. You were eager to know the Doha TT about Dravyatva attribute.
द्रव्यत्व गुण इस वस्तुको जग में पलटता है सदा । लेकिन कभी भी द्रव्य तो तजता न लक्षण सम्पदा || स्व- द्रव्य में मोक्षार्थी हो स्वाधीन सुख लो सर्वदा । हो नाश जिस से आजतक की दुःखदायी भवकथा ॥
While discussing Dravyatva attribute we had seen that the modification Samyak Darshan takes place in Shraddha attribute, because of instrumental cause of Dravyatva attribute. And it does not happen due to or because of Arihant or Divyadhvani or self study or worship or any other activity.
After reading this, Reena you asked me that the Jain philosophy says that even Punya gue is worth renouncing and yet you and daddy perform Pooja ч, Ashtaka, or Swadhyay (study) etc. why is it so? It is a very interesting and proper question.
In your childhood when you were trying to leam swimming do you remember? In the beginning a float was tied to your back. And then you were practising hands and legs strokes. While you were learning under the proper guidance, till you could acquire the skill of proper swimming, it was necessary to have the float to keep you floating on the water.
But at the same time both the instructor as well as the learner definitely know that it is proper to get rid of it as early as possible. It means that the float is worthy of renouncing. It is proper that you should be able to swim without the float. But it does not mean that you should renounce the float in a hurry otherwise one may drown.
Similarly with the help of the study of scriptures, Pooja and other activities we have to ultimately experience the pure soul after knowing this ultimate truth by examining all the principles of philosophy with the