________________ "Even if a man finds innumerable mountains of gold and silver as lofty as the great Mount Kailasa, his desire, his thirst does not meet its end. Because desires are like the sky - unlimited...infinite. The remedy to suffering is to go beyond the limitation of the self and reach out to others. You will find that the moments of utmost happiness in your life have always been those in which you uttered a word or performed an act of compassion or selfless love. All lakes have shores, but the lake of desire is such that it has no shore - no beginning, no end. It is limitless. Detachment to one's possessions is an art to be mastered. Such an art has no pre-requisite of philosophical knowledge or religious rituals. It only requires willingness. When desires are limited, needs also get limited; when needs get limited, then conflicts, tensions and contradictions in the journey of life also begin to reduce, Moving beyond conflicts leads to peace, happiness and joy. Possessiveness resides not in objects, but in thoughts. It is an impulse, an impure state of internal consciousness. When consciousness brands external objects with the labels of desire and attachment, with the labels of yours and mine, they become objects of possessiveness, not otherwise" Excerpts from Upadhyaya Sri's Discourses. In fact, non-possessiveness is an inner calling rather than external behaviour. Gurudev Amar Muniji's book "Aparigraha Darshan" is an inspirational work. It is a transcript for a successful householder's life. Today, the entire world, and progressive India at large, is in need of a spiritual, intellectual, and economically strong society, for the emergence of enthusiasm in the youth and enterprising leadership. I believe that this book will be the guiding light for such an endeavour. Acharya Sri Chandanaji Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org
