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COMPENDIUM OF JAINISM
bitterness. Life becomes a turmoil and he loses his balance of mind in struggle. He begins to think ill of others and others begin to think ill of him. There would be bad blood and both sides giving birth to a sense of vengence against each other.
Such ways of living become a constant source of influx of bad Karmas and negative the purpose of human existence. It is difficult to be born a human being and the opportunity ought to be utilised for betterment, for the subsidence of the Karmas and for self-realization. No one can prolong his life, and adherence to wrong principles ensnares the soul into numerous transmigrations through lower strata of births and deaths. The only escape is in acquisition of virtues and maintenance of an awareness of the goal of life.
We can realise the goal of life by acquisition of purity of life by acquisition of purity of life by self-control and conquest of desires and cravings, so that the body can only be an instrument for purification of the soul.
6
Uttama Samyama or Perfect Self-restraint
Abstinence from injurious thoughts and actions and from entertainment of sensual thoughts, or restraint from indulgence in sensual pleaseres is self-restraint. This stops the influx of new Karmas. It is the foundation of goodch aracter. With self-restraint, one can attain mastery over oneself and control all passions,
Restraint in thoughts, speech and action is self-restraint: that is the basis of pure life and of religion. It is difficult to attain self-restraint. It requires faith in relegion or at least in ethical conduct; if this is backed up by the company of good people or fine moral traditions at home and in the immediate surroundings, then acquisition of self-restraint becomes easy. Today we notice that we are in the midst of a society where laxity in thought and action is the order of the day. Any one who advocates self-conirol in life is ridiculed as an orthodox person. The values seem to have changed because every one seems to have
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