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An Epitome of Jainism diate, instantaneous and unmistakable,-justifies the hardship and the demand. The relief and service, the sure uplift of ourselves, the showering of calm balm, by the practice of self-realisation, upon the sore souls of our brethren and sisters, justify the price paid. Indeed it is merely the temporary yielding of a hollow, fleeting pleasure for the attainment of a real, permanent happiness and peace, which once gained, can never be lost. Once the soul has had its first dip into its own rnilk-white nectar Ocean of SELF; in Christian phrase, once the soul has seen the presence of God, it can never go away from it for ever. It must come back to the presence sooner or later, and oftener; till in the end it is always THERE and nowhere else.
To this an obvious criticism would be directed that this is making men angels or at least faultless supermen, whereas humanity consists at best of frail, feeble, faulty human mortals. This is quite true. Humanity can never become a community of angels. Our passion-tossed hearts must keep us generally deluded, weak, imperfect. But the practice of self-realisation makes us less deluded, less weak and less imperfect, and it brings us one or many steps nearer that condition of our purified and strengthened consciousness which is free from delusion, weakness and imperfection. Self-realisation deals with our inner warring impulses and feelings by suppressing some, eliminating others; and by self-control, self-discipline and self-respect, regulating the others into a self-guided harmony, which is a helpful reflection of God Himself.
Once you sit on the rock of self-realisation, the whole world goes round and round you like a crazy rushing something, which has lost its hold upon you and is mad to get you again in its grip, but cannot. The all-conquering smile of the Victor (Jina) is on your lips. The vanquished, deluding world lies dead and impotent at your feet.
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