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ASPIRANT'S GUIDE
and met the relative thirty miles away!
Progress in real Sadhana on the path of restraint is not possible without observance of vows undertaken. (3) This incident happened approximately 175 years ago.
Jain Acharya Shree Ratnachandraji Maharaj was travelling through the villages around the cities Bikaner and Jodhpur on his religious mission. Many devotees from the surrounding villages came for sermons, Satsanga and Darshana. In the group of devotees there were women in large numbers. They were in beautiful clothes and ornaments. A devotee inquired of Acharya, "Does your mind weaver on seeing so many beautiful women ?"
Maharaj replied, "Well brother, what are your feelings when your sisters and daughters approach you on the day of Rakhshabandan and tie a Rakhee around your arm? Do you experience any improper feelings?"
The questioner had no answer. Maharaj continued, "We look upon these women of the outside world as you look upon your own sisters and daughters. Again, there is no scope whatsoever for any improper feelings because of our study of the scriptures, the vows that we constantly undertake and similar other practices."
"Woman's beauty is not the basic cause of the rise of perverse feelings, it is passions that take hold of the mind that bring about man's downfall. We constantly watch over them, we are ever alert."
The questioner was satisfied and he bowed at the feet of Shree Ratnachandra Maharaj.
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