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"BHAVANA BODH "
(TEACHINGS ABOUT SOUL LIBERATING ASPIRATIONS)
PRESENTATION OF THE NATURE OF TWELVE LIBERATING ASPIRATIONS
(ANUPREKSHA) FOREWORD
WHEREIN LIES REAL HAPPINESS ?
The natural trend of enlightened souls inspite of their occupation in worldly matters is towards their speedy dive in nonattachment. Sometimes the above statement is difficult to prove as such enlightened souls appear engrossed in worldly life from the external viewpoint. Even then the above statement can be easily authenticated by observing their behaviour from a subtle point of view and it is undoubtedly true.
From a very small insect to a pride intoxicated elephant all living beings, human and divine and demons-all alike engage themselves in fulfilling their natural desire for acquisition of happiness and joy and therefore they industriously work for that purpose. But without the rise of discriminating intelligence in them, they mistake the illusory for the real, they find various kinds of happiness in worldly life. By minute observation, it is proved positively that such imposition of happiness in worldly life is useless. Very rare and victorious men, who destroy such impositions, have been telling us with the light of their discriminative knowledge to turn our minds to acquire some other but unprecedented subject matter. Pleasures or happiness fraught with fear are no pleasures or no happiness; they are really pains or unhappiness. That in obtaining which we have to suffer many afflictionsand enjoying the same when acquired entails still further additional afflictions and so the total result of all such activities gives one great pain, unending sorrow and equaHy unending fear - the happiness derived from such things is only happiness in name or really no happiness at all.
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