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DISCOURSE XL
AVOIDING SINS
Gentlemen,
You must have realised from the discussions so far that the attributes of the soul constitute religion-and the path of religion is the path or the channel to realise salvation. Attributes of the soul are right knowledge, right intuition and right conduct. The soul is as well possessed of other attributes over and above these attributes.
False knowledge, false intuition and false conduct do not belong to the soul but they are the products of Karmas. The products of Karmas multiply temporal existences, cause frequency of deaths and births and make the soul ramble in millions of existences frequently.
False intuition means false conviction-false belief. We have discussed profusely on this subject in preceding chapters and so we desist from dilating further on the subject.
False knowledge means wrong knowledge i.e. ignorance. There are three varieties of ignorance (1) Intellectual (2) Scriptural (3) Vibhanga. We have already discussed about them in our preceding discourses.
False conduct means commission of sins: resorting to sinful acts. Right conduct can be manifested till commission of sins is refrained from, and the soul cannot attain salvation till right conduct is not manifested. Jain scriptures lay down :
"Right intuition cannot be had unless right knowledge is acquired, without right knowledge right conduct cannot be achieved and without right conduct soul is not freed from the fetters of Karmas and without such freedom soul cannot attain emancipation.
Today we are going to discuss about commission of sins or about avoiding the commission of sins.
What is sin? What is the definition of sin ? Such questions are mostly put up by the seekers of truth. The reply to these
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