Atmanandji Jainacharya Janmashatabdi Smarakgranth

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

Page 208

Gyandas Jain
"In the first place thousands of invaluable Jain scriptures have been consigned to fire by or under the orders of the Muslim Kings. Those that ecaped some how, are rotting away in the the shut up' Bhandars' and it is likely that after some time the condition of these locked-up treasures of knowledge would get even worsethan that of the burnt-up ones. The Jains spend thousands in other matters but nothing for the restoration of the decaying ancient works. They do not start educational institutions either where their children could be taught in Sanskrit. What a pity it is!
Most of the Jain Sadhus also do not care to study. Why should they freely get plenty to eat and drink? There are so many Yatis! who are only spoiling their lives by indulging in mere sensual pleasures. People call us 'Nastiks' but we care not what others think of us.
It is painful to find our exultations and felictations at the goregeous * Varghora Shows' and the expensive common feasting at a Juncture when hundreds of our youths are experiencing the keenest mental tortures on account of unemployment or seeking the shelter of other religions just for one worldly amenity or the other and when hundreds of youths born in Jain families are turning into enemies of the Great Universal Jain religion merely for want of proper religious instruction.
It is a pity that at this calamitous hour our own religious 'gurus', the very model of asceticism and physical repunciation, are consciously guiding us into the whirlpool of calamity on account of their mutual jealousy, their obstinacy and their egotism. **Awaken, Jain Samaj! awaken soon if you wish to exist. Discard the antiquated conventions, Let not the essential be swallowed by the mere non-essential. Join your forces with the world in its onward march and after so joining, attract the world to the eternal truths of Jainism. Leave off the old pipe. Adopt pew modes of propagation of your soul elevating Dharma in this new era.
The 'Sa bammi Vachhals' of the palate devoid of any sense of mutual help are a mere 'Sāvadya Arambh', a mere craving of the tongue and a fertile source of new 'Karmas.' The 'Varghoras' without devotion and intelligent faith are only a demonstration of mass stupidity and ignorance. Our people are turning away from the Prabhu-mārg.' They should be saved. Let us learn the lessons of the times as did the great Vijayanand who allowed his disciple to stay for 12 years on end at one place, for the sake of the preservation of the invaluable Jirna Bhandar'.
Shatabdi Granth ]
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