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ASPIRANT'S GUIDE effort of saving their own self (Atma) from sorrows such as birth, desease, old age and death. They also lead their lives in such a way that ignorance, attachment, jealousy and other feelings do not arise in life. This creation of an absence of attachment, jealousy and ignorance in one's own self is known as Karuna towards one's own Atma (Swa-Karuna).
GLORY OF KARUNA 1. The basis for the spiritual development of the self goes on evolving along with the rise of greater and greater Karuna in life. 2. The spirit of Karuna is an important component of uniform well-balanced social development (Sarvodaya). Two main ideas are implied in it. The first is the feeling of becoming helpful to one and all in every possible way. Once, a person adopts this way of life, the feeling of individual ownership of things is minimized. A feeling of voluntary sharing of the necessities of life develops. This will bring an end to the disparity caused by the shortages of necessities of life and naturally lead to the shaping of a Sarvodaya social structure. 3. The heart of an aspirant (Sadhaka) feels a severe pain at the sorrows of other beings in proportion to his real progress on the path of spiritual development. This doctrine is very true that the feeling of Karuna is enhanced in life with the real progress in meditation (Bodhi-Samadhi) of the Sadhaka. We have several incidences of this doctrine exemplified in the lives of saints and Acharyas, who have sacrificed the most valued things of their life, to remove the sorrows and pains of the smallest beings.
LIVING EXAMPLE OF KARUNA (1) This is an incident from the life of Swami Dayanand Saraswati. Once he was going to a city Dadupur from Benaras on foot. It was the rainy day and water had poured all around. One bullock-cart, fully loaded with grass had stuck in the mud. People all around were giving instructions to the driver of the cart but the cart was going deeper and deeper in the mud. The bulls were panting and saliva was dropping from their mouths.
The heart of the Swami melted at the suffering of the bulls.
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