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CONFLUENCE OF OPPOSITES
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ment evolved out by him. The ascetic finally also attains to omniscience prior to nirvana, though, owing to bad times, there are no such ascetics just now in our part of the universe. For we men of today are but puny mannikins compared with our ancestors of the past, and not having inherited their adamantine frames fail to approach them in respect of pure self-contemplation. But though denied this purest form of self-realisation, we are not debarred from the delights appertaining to the other forms of holy meditation, and would be well-advised to adopt them, according to our capacity and circumstances. It should, however, be never forgotten that the primary root of spiritual knowledge and conduct, the very seed of the ever-green life-giving Tree of Life is nothing other than Right Faith, concerning which the following occurs in an ancient work of authority (the Ratnakaranda Srâvakâchâra}
"In the three worlds and in the three periods of time there is nothing more auspicious than Right Faith, nor anything more inauspicious than a false conviction. Those whose hearts have been purified by Right Faith become the lords of splendour, energy, wisdom, prowess, fame, victory, and greatness; they are boru in high families, and possess the ability to realise the highest ideals [dharma (religion), artha (wealth), kama (pleasure) and moksha (salvation)] of life; they are the best of Those who have the Right Faith are born in the heaven-worlds where they become the devotees of Lord Jinendra, and, endowed with eight kinds of miraculous powers and great splendour, enjoy themselves for long
men.
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