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152
THE ART OF POSITIVE THINKING
dislike, love and hatred may be described in the language of Charak or in terms of Sankhya philosophy as rajas' and tamas2. The attribute of rajas is equivalent to 'like', and that of tamas to dislike'. These two attributes are the motivating principles of our life; without these, lisc would be impossible. A person totally free from the passions and affections will never be able to run a shop. Whether the goods are pilfered from the shop or duly sold to the customer is all the same to him. In course of time, the business will have to be wound up.
Ifa kevali (a person freed from passions) becomes the leader of the government, that government would pass into other hands in no time. The kevali is impartial-he is not attached; nor does he entertain any malice towards any person. He is above like and dislike. Such a person cannot run the government. He is not troubled by thoughts of foreign aggression, nor is he worried about the territorial rights. If someone occupies the Himalayas, he is not disturbed, and the usurpation of whole parts by someone leaves him indifferent. He transcends all limitations. The whole of life on carth and in socicty is directed by two humours-like and dislike. It might surprise you to licar mc dcclarc a kevali unfit to govern a state. But Iam presenting before you a bare fact. Recognising this fact, the Jain Masters coined phrases such as 'auspicious attachment' and 'inauspicious attachment', 'auspicious aversion' and 'inauspicious aversion'. Gautam was greatly attached to Mahavir. Who could find sault with such attachment? Where the object of attachment is a person like Mahavir, it could not be called bad. So the Acharya callcd it 'auspicious or purisicd attachment. This would be acceptable; it could not be repudiated, for without it life could not go on. Devotion is cssential for lisc to be meaningful. Love and attachment are a sourcc of inspiration. These must not bc denied. So the agamas lay down that the mind of a religious person is imbued with love and devotion. A person so attached cannot be said to be a kevali. But such attachment has been recognized as 'auspicious attachment'.
So both attachment and aversion can be auspicious. A master was reprimanding his disciple. The disciple had done something wrong. And the master scowled at him, his eyes red with anger. The disciplc was trembling. Here is a condition of 'auspicious aversion'.
Thus both attachment and avcrsion can be auspicious or inauspicious. Somcone imbued by hatred or contempt administers a reproof. Another's love is totally dominated by lust. There are
1. rajas: One of the three attributes of nature which manifests itself in luxurious
ness, merry making, cxhibitionism, ctc. 2. tamas: One of the the three attributes of nature which manifests itself in darkness
or ignorance
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