Atmanandji Jainacharya Janmashatabdi Smarakgranth

Author(s): Mohanlal Dalichand Desai
Publisher: Atmanand Janma Shatabdi Smarak Trust

Page 205

Suman-Sanchaya
troubled by constant doubts. Several of them have turned Christians; several others have joined the ranks of the followers of Moha Some have woven out of their own unwarranted notions the faiths like Brahma Samaj' and some have entered the new faith of Saraswati Dayanand and there are others who would rather stand aloof from this clash of creeds.
So many agriculturists and others have renounced their occupations to go about as Sadhus' that it has become a problem for the society how to feed them. Most of these Sadhus are avaricious, hoard wealth and smoke poisouons drugs like Ganja & Charas.' Others have put up permanent abodes in towus to rob people and to revel in licensious pursuits. It would be better that such 'Fakirs' remained house-holders and utilized their honest earnings in bringing up and educating their children and in feeding the hungry and raising the down-trodden.
Sadhu' in one who wears a cloth to cover his nakedness and feeds himself to subside his hunger, who observes untarnished 'Brahmacharya' and keeps the people away from falsehood, theft and fraud and from dishonest dealings and lustful pursuits, by his sweet persuation."
(Agnan Timir Bhaskar, P. 118 ) “ Treat as brothers all those that observe Jainism : love them more than you love your own brothers. 'Jain Dharma' provides shelter to and contains in its wide fold people of all castes and colours. The various castes and classes have their origin not in
Dharma' but seem to derive their designations from association with a town, a person or an occupation. Acharyas like "Ratnaprabh Suri' and “Hembhadra Suri' formulated some castes and Gotras'. It is a - sinful error for the people of any caste to consider themselves as
* What a life-like picture of the religious chaos and the sinful life of the religious heads of those times! What an apeal the words carry for the reformation within. .: 124 :
[ Shree Atmaramji