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76. The Final Journey
While his health was severely deteriorating, Shrimad remained in equanimity. Those who have devoted their lives to material pursuits cannot understand the deeply spiritual perspective of Self-Realised Souls. While the former will see the pain of the body, the latter will be absorbed in the innate bliss of the Soul. "We have lived for the body an infinite number of times, always at the expense of the welfare of the Soul. Seekers of Truth should consider that spiritual thinking will arise in that body, which sacrifices itself for the welfare of the Soul. They ought to thus cast aside all false notions about the body and focus entirely on spiritual pursuits."
Despite moving from place to place in search of a more suitable climate, Shrimad's condition did not improve and his body became emaciated: his weight fell from 140 lbs (57 Kgs) to just 57 lbs (23 Kgs). On the 6th day of Phalguna sud, in VS 1957, Shrimad arrived in Rajkot from Wadhvan.
Shrimad was rapidly scaling greater spiritual heights, casting off many old karmas. A month before he passed away, he said: "While the journey was meant to be completed quickly, a Sahara Desert came in the way. I was carrying a heavy burden. Attempting with all the energy of my Soul to bear it in the shortest time possible, my legs tired due to the most intense and tenacious past karmas.
Of his inner state, he said: "The True Nature of the Self does not deviate, and that is a source of wonder. Internal awareness remains uninterrupted."
"Why grieve or rejoice while enduring the fruits of karmas ? Realised souls have defined true religion as enduring them with equanimity. The path of pure conduct is not to deviate from self-awareness even in the most acute pain or pleasure. If one bears these fruits in Self-awareness, which has arisen from calming the passions, then one will shed many karmas."
Ten days before he passed away, he was so weak that he could not even write, he was totally alert. As a parting message, he revealed the true meaning of the path to Moksha in a beautiful poem :
The ascetic desires eternal bliss Which is pure soul, the living Jina.
| SR No. | 032343 |
| Book Title | Pinnacle Of Spirituality |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | Kumarpal Desai |
| Publisher | Raj Saubhag Satsang Mandal |
| Publication Year | 2000 |
| Total Pages | 188 |
| Language | English |
| Classification | Book_English |
| File Size | 42 MB |