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## Āgama Sūtra 39, Chhedasūtra-5, 'Mahānishīth'
The Dharma is that which destroys all suffering, poverty, distress, anxiety, disgrace, false accusations, old age, death, and all fear completely. There is no other helper like it, no other unmatched lord in the three realms.
Therefore, family, relatives, friends, kin, wealth, and other worldly things are no longer of use. And this wealth and prosperity is more fickle than a rainbow, lightning, or a pile of clothes. It is like a dream or Indra's water, fleeting and disappearing in an instant. It is perishable, impermanent, and unsustainable. It perpetuates the cycle of existence, obstructs the path to liberation, and brings endless suffering.
Oh people! This time for Dharma is extremely rare. Such a time, filled with the unparalleled material for practicing Dharma, for cultivating right faith, knowledge, and conduct, will not come again. And this body, which we have received, is decaying piece by piece, every moment, day and night. It is becoming weaker every day. It is like a worn-out earthen pot, broken into hundreds of pieces by the impact of a hard stone, useless for any purpose. It has become completely worthless, like a drop of water on a new sprout, suddenly disappearing like a bird flying away from a living tree. This human birth is fruitless for those who do not earn merit for the afterlife. Therefore, I am not capable of even the slightest negligence.
One should be equal in their attitude towards friends and enemies in this human form. One should abstain from all three types of violence against all living beings, speak truthfully, and not accept even the smallest thing without giving something in return, like a toothpick or ashes. One should practice the supreme, pure, and unwavering vow of celibacy, with the complete integration of mind, speech, and body, and with unwavering, newly acquired non-violence. One should be ruthless towards clothes, utensils, and instruments of restraint. One should abstain from food and drink at night, be free from the five defects of origin, production, desire, etc., eat within a limited time, purify the five senses, cultivate the three types of meditation, and practice the austerities of fasting, etc. One should follow the twelve precepts of the monk, avoid acquiring various types of material possessions, bathing, sleeping on the ground, cutting hair, and rubbing the body. One should always behave according to the Guru's instructions. One should endure hunger, thirst, and other hardships. One should conquer divine and other afflictions. One should remain equanimous in both receiving and not receiving. If one receives, one should think of it as an increase in Dharma, and if one does not receive, one should think of it as an increase in austerity.
How much more can I say? Oh people! This is a very difficult path, worthy of carrying the burden of eighteen thousand sheelangs without rest, like a great soul. It is like swimming across the ocean without respite. This virtuous Dharma is like eating tasteless clay. It is like walking on the sharp edge of a terrifying sword. The Dharma of conduct is like drinking the flames of a fire well-nourished with ghee. The difficult Dharma of restraint is like filling a container with a subtle breeze. It is more difficult than walking against the flow of the Ganges, measuring Mount Meru with a scale of courage, conquering a formidable army of four divisions with the strength of a single human being, tying the right eye of a puppet that is moving in the opposite direction of eight moons, or achieving victory in all three realms and receiving the flag of pure fame and glory. It is the most difficult of all things, and through it, all things are achieved. Sūtra-1485-1487
The burden on the head is carried with rest. The burden of great conduct is carried without rest, throughout life. Therefore, abandoning the affection for material possessions, children, etc., become detached, and serve the supreme Dharma of conduct without regret. There is no hypocrisy, false praise, deception, or such behavior in Dharma. It is Dharma free from the thorns of illusion and deceit.
Muni Dīparatnasāgar Kr̥t (Mahānishīth) Āgama Sūtra - Hindi Translation
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