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AMAR VANI
Knowledge and Rituals
Rituals are a zero placed atter a numerical digit in Arithmetic. The zero without the digit has no value, Knowledge and rituals also bear the analogy of gold and safe. Knowledge is gold ; rituals are merely the safe to keeep the gold in. First you have to acquire the knowledge of Ahimsa and Truth, and then you have to adopt and practise them in your life and conduct. The small seed of knowledge becomes a huge tree in the form of rituais. But before you can have the tree, you must have the seed. Therefore the fanatic ritualists must very carefully weigh the value of knowledge against the mere observance of rituals.
Wisdom and Scriptures
If you close your eyes and put a long-range telescope upon them, what will you see through it ? Certainly, you can see nothing. This is exactly what happens in relation to wisdom and scriptures. Wisdom is the eye and scriptures are the telescope. Without wisdom scriptures are useless. Rituals without Knowledge
Meditation, penance, austerity, Ahimsa are all meaningless rituais without knowledge. These rituals without knoledge only weave the chains of Karmas around the soul. The expectation of attaining liberation and salvation through them is as useless as the hope of plucking a flower from the heavenly garden of Eden.
Knowledge without Right Conduct
Knowledge without right conduct is like a moth-eaten wood. It is hollow from within. External polish can give lustre to wood from outside, but it cannot give strength to it. Likewise, knowledge without right conduct is a false show, a vanity.
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