Book Title: Confluence of Opposites
Author(s): Champat Rai Jain
Publisher: Champat Rai Jain

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Page 407
________________ CONFLUENCE OF OPPOSITES 389 acquisition of wealth, which, in its turn, must be controlled by Dharma. For if you spend the time that should be devoted to the acquisition of wealth in reckless Bacchanalian revelry, you will soon find your. self reduced to beggary, while wealth acquired without a due regard to the rules of Religion can only lead to unhappy results in the end. Therefore, *.........seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you" (Matt. vi. 33.) The sadhu, who has renounced the world, can, of course, have no other ideal in life than salvation. He, therefore, seeks neither pleasure, nor wealth nor even virtue, but becomes engaged in pure self-contemplation, to destroy his karmas. It should be stated that virtue is a cause of bondage as much as vice, the difference being that the bondage resulting from the former is pleasant-birth in a high family, happy surroundings and the like-while vice gives rise to undesirable circumstances and conditions. The sadhu, therefore, avoids both virtue and vice by becoming engaged in pure self-contemplation, which destroys the root of bondage-raga (attachment) and dvesha (aversion)-in no time, I think I must stop now. I have said sufficient to enable you to get along without stumbling over the objects lying awry in the half-lit region of mythology. You must now take the spade in your own hand, and carry on the work of investigation in other places Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

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