________________
PHILOSOPHY OF SOUL
471
the crab and rushed forward to catch hold of the deer. The rat Hiranyaka at that very time cut off the ties of Mantharaka who crept away into deep waters of the lake. Here Chitranga jumped off and ran away in the forest. Laghupatanaka flew in the sky crowing loudly and Hiranyaka entered a hole nearby.
The hunter returned to find the ties cut off and the crab lost for ever. All the four friends with mutual co-operation and aid enjoyed life.
Such friends can be rightly called true friends, but friendship of 'right faith' is the best of all types of friendships, as it smoothens the path of the soul, to get out from the endless worldly miseries. We mean to say that ‘right faith' is unrivalled in friendship.
Relatives and caste-fellows are our friends. They stand by our side in adversities and man secures great consolation from them. Of course, in this Kali age such relatives only play nominal part and they care for us only if we are worth some valuables ; when deprived of money, none cares for us. Even a father loves an earning son, but your friendship with right faith is true and sincere. It guards you always and by all means. It helps you always so that you would make spiritual progress. This is the reason why the revered authors of the scriptures have compared it with an ideal friend.
Now let us consider what benefits are accrued from 'Right Faith'. You are pleased to get delicious food, fine garments and power when you crave for such food, garments and power but such benefits are perishable when compared with those accrued from right faith. Shri Bhadra Bahu Swami said in Uvasggahara :
“Oh Lord Parshvanath, Right faith derived from you far surpasses even the wish-fulfilling tree or gem as with right faith souls acquire emancipation—the immortal state uninterruptedly."
It is also so declared, “With right faith only various kinds of charities, righteous acts, penances, worships, pilgrimages, nonviolence, ideal conduct of a lay-disciple or observance of any vow grants great rewards.”
This means that any religious rite or ceremony must be based on right faith or conviction without which these rites and ceremonies do not bear any fruit as expected. Securing very scanty reward
