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JAIN JOURNAL
Vardhaman :
Yashoda, these beetles are greedy creatures. They penetrate the lotus to suck honey out of it. And sometimes they get entrapped as the petals of the lotus close at the fall of night.
Yashoda :
But they never nibble inside for their freedom.
Vardhaman :
After all they are beetles. They do not know how to cut the shackles of their bondage. But man can always redeem himself from bondage.
Yashoda :
Yes, man is gifted with the faculty of thinking.
Vardhaman :
It matters not whether man is master or slave to his mind. What matters is his sense of discrimination. Man can cut his karmic bondage at his will and obtain liberation.
Yashoda:
Liberation is always desirable.
Vardhaman :
And what, if I seek liberation.
Yashoda :
What, you...you, of all persons, is after liberation.
Vardhaman :
Yes, Yashoda ! For past several years I have been thinking in that direction. Please do not misunderstand me, Yashoda. I never wanted to be caught in the bond of matrimony. It was the importunity of my mother and the behest of my father that I should marry I was duty-bound to obey my parents. When I did not agree to marry, my mother fell unconscious. My father admonished me that though I go about preaching non-violence, I had committed violence in speech by saying “No” to my mother. I had no answer. I had to marry lest I be held guilty of violence.
Yashoda :
If you have me after marrying me, to suffer in silence all my life, you will be committing yet another act of violence.
Vardhaman :
You will have to give up the feeling of pain on separation.
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