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STRAIGHT-FORWARDNESS
(2) Chironjabai was a great pious Jain lady who lived around the year 1900 near the city of Jhansi in northern India. She lived a very religious life and was instrumental in the spiritual development of Shri Ganeshprsad Varniji, whom she had adopted as a religious son.
Shri Varniji, a great saint, has written about one incident in his life regarding his mother Chiraunjabai. He stated that, when his mother was about sixty years old, he had to spend lot of time in serving her. He then felt that if he had no mother, he would be able to progress on the path of self-realization far more quickly. Once he actually complained loudly, "In this life, no one is related to others spiritually, all are selfish. I have simply wasted these years of my life!"
The mother replied, "Dear boy! Now I am old and of no use to you. This is what you feel. For the last thirty years, I have looked after you as a son, but all the while, your bliss only has been my purpose. Now I am old, I can no more look after you. Do what pleases you, but know one thing. If you abandon me through anger or because you are tired, it will be only a pretence and your renunciation will be only a show. It will be without the spirit of quietude and detachment."
Shri Verniji was simply stunned by these words. He gave up the idea to separate himself from his respected mother. He had not conquered deceit in the heart and only made a show of being free from deceit. This was pretence on his part. He now resolved to take recourse to the path of straightforwardness - the path of bliss for himself.
SARALATA
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