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Bhagawan Mahavir )
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souls thought of committing sin, it must at that moment, have been known to the all-seeing God. And as God is merciful He would have saved them from committing that sin and would have effectively done so as He is all-powerful. He looked at them indifferently and passively in the beginning and became ready to punish them when they actually committed sin. How far is it right ? Learned readers should pause a moment to think. Suppose the son of a person is, in his presence, going to throw himself in a well. He allows him to throw himself first and takes him out and says, "Why did you throw yourself in the well ? I shall punisha you now”, and does punish him. Who will call that father loving P Who can call this treatment as merciful ? One who acts in this way will be called cruel and not merciful. There. fore Jain philosophy saves God from such imputations of cruelty and such troubles. It saves God from such slander. It believes that God is Omniscient, is perfectly unaffected by love and hatred, is beyond all duties, is beyond resurrec: tion and has nothing to do with worldly troubles.
Doubt:--When God is completely uninfluenced by love and hatred and when He is unable to check or to help, is neither angry nor pleased, then he can not benefit his devotees. Then what is the use of worshipping Him ? · Explanation:--It is the desire of the selfish heart that we should worship God that He may benefit us. To worship God with this end in sight is not His real worship. It is bribing Him. Real worship gives no scope to the idea of gain but it is a desire to give up all one has. The devoteg flings away every thing thinking it like straw and desira, to have devotion alone. Those who worship to attain worldly,
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