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Shri Mahavir Jain Aradhana Kendra
12.
PRETENSION
www.kobatirth.org
Acharya Shri Kailassagarsuri Gyanmandir
DEAR CANDID PEOPLE!
Devotion, meditation and worship should be selfiess. It is meaningless to pray for prosperity and position when once we have renounced all our worldly prosperity. Prosperity and position are the fruits of our noble actions. If you have earned merit in your Poorvajanm by means of noble actions, naturally, in this life you will get a high position and prosperity. If you desire to possess prosperity and a high position in your next life you must accumulate merit in this life by doing noble actions. No one prevents you from performing noble actions.
But if we think of the question of devotion for Vitarāgaprabhu, we should realize that it is not proper to pray to him asking for prosperity and position. The idea of prayer belongs to the Hindu dharma. According to the Jain dharma, we praise God and glorify Him but we do not pray to Him for anything,
By glorifying the Lord and by praising His sublime qualities, we feel inspired to acquire those virtues. This is the fruit of glorifying the Lord. But by the force of tradition people outwardly glorify the Lord but inwardly pray to Him for boons. They say outwardly:
"Oh Lord Shantinath! Bestow peace on us." But inwardly they say:
"And kindly increase the price of sesame, cotton and jaggery."
In this manner, they behave hypocritically. They cannot deceive the Lord, but by behaving thus they de
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