Agam 30 Prakirnak 07 Candavejjhayam Sutra

Author(s): D S Baya
Publisher: Agam Ahimsa Samta Evam Prakrit Samsthan

Page 94

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CANDRAVEDHYAKA PRAKĪRṆAKA : 27
Omniscient Lord Jinendra deva has laid down the practice of ethical code (Vinaya) as the foremost amongst all the spiritual practices. Certainly, it is the eternal virtue that leads to spiritual salvation.
What is right conduct is also the result of right knowledge, what is right knowledge is evident in humility. The knowledge is earned through humility and through the right knowledge one knows the right conduct.
The essence of all righteousness or virtues is in the practice of the right conduct. In the absence of right conduct, even the monks, without material possessions, are not praised.
An aspirant, even well versed in the knowledge of scriptures, cannot practice the right conduct if he is insolent, has little faith and little desire for spiritual salvation due to little fear of the eternal wandering in the world with an endless cycle of births and deaths. One, strayed from the right conduct, wanders in the world.
Satisfied with little knowledge of the scriptures, too, if one is endowed with humility and five great vows (Pancamahāvrata), is a practitioner of the spiritual path and conquers the senses.
As millions and billions of lamps are useless for the blind, likewise what use is the scriptural knowledge of a person sans right conduct? (Meaning that without the rightconduct the scriptural knowledge is useless).