Book Title: Comtemporary Jain Legends
Author(s): Atmanandji Maharaj
Publisher: Shrimad Rajchandra Ashram

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Page 42
________________ Darbarilal kothiyaji, Pandit Foolchandji Shastri and Pandit Pannalalji etc. of the present generation were the sources of inspiration for Pandit Gopaldasji Baraiya. Pandit Gopaldasji Baraiya was the religious teacher of Shri Ganesh Prasadji Varni and other religious leaders of his time. Even though Shri Ganesh Prasadji is not with us to day by his mortal body, he remains with us through the unending line of his followers and disciples. Religion: High Thinking of Guru Gopaldasji: The one, who insults and ridicules other religions through the pride of his own religion, really insults his own religion. The only purpose of worldly happiness (Public and personal) is religion. When a person buys an earthen water-pot, he tests it by striking fingers on it repeatedly. In this way a man who turns to adopt a religion, he must test that religion upto his satisfaction and then only adopt it. A person taking up a work in hand must first examine its fruitfulness; otherwise his labor will go in Vain. Our soul becomes beautiful, simple, attractive, bright, impressive, peaceful and high by the effects of religion. The soul earns high credit and respects from others. One cannot earn religion by partnership with any or by payment of money because it is the nature of substance. Religion can be achieved mainly by experience. The great man having withdrawn from worldly subjects and pleasures is enormously happy. The Indras and Chakravarties do not even a croreth part of this happiness by the pleasures of subjects and objects. So if you want real happiness, you must follow religion because it is the only cause of happiness. The greatness of religion cannot be expressed by words. Jainism is not for specific persons of certain castes or creeds. It belongs to everybody, it saves everybody and none can capture it by him. Wealth and Charity: A fool gets golden ornaments and jewellery by earning money, a greedy man keeps his wealth under the ground, a man of ill habits wastes his wealth in evil deeds, a charitable person makes charity by his wealth while an intelligent person uses his money for the good of the people and advancement of religion. Money earned by truth methods should be used in charity by sympathy and good will. Charity of knowledge is the best charity; you will your hunger only once while by earning knowledge the soul gets permanent happiness and salvation. Education: If students are taught only religion, they will not be able to maintain themselves and their families and therefore, practical knowledge must be imparted alongwith the knowledge of religion. Where both these types of knowledges are given to students and where rich persons are in good number, that society is considered to be great, while the other societies and castes come to a lower status. There are two main parts in the development of human life. (I) Personal development and (ii) Social or Public development. For both these types of developments, knowledge or learning,

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