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Let us look at celestial gods and goddesses. Being jealous of one another, they envy those who are happier than they are. Jealousy not only robs ones happiness but it also degrades him. Hence those who suffer from it are reborn as living beings of earth, water or vegetation. Their godlife is simply wasted. The creatures in hell are ever suffering. We see the birds and beasts suffer silently. They are dependent on blind nature as they are devoid of a sense of discerning the real condition of their existence of seeking a release there from. There is no real happiness in any of the four states of existence of soul(gatis) : Godhood, hell-being, tiryanch(animal) and man.
Real happiness lies in the fifth state in which there is freedom from bonds of karma (Moksha), which once attained is never lost and there is neither birth nor death. The highest being i.e. the Jineshwar-Vitraga-Parmatma, the Omniscient Being was also once as human, as we are and suffered as we do before He obtained liberation (Moksha). He freed Himself from the bonds of all karmas and showed us the path to real happiness; so that we can also become like him, if we follow the path.
in order to become a successful doctor, a pleader or a merchant, we must acouire the necessary knowledge and put it into practice This is how we become an expert or a specialist in any vocation or trade of our choice. Similarly, we should acquire the knowledge of how to be free from this worldly life and put into practice, so that we progress spiritually and also become one like a Jineshwar eventually.
We are like children so far as religion is concerned. Children require the help of others as long as they cannot walk. In the same way, we require the help or support of form and letter-Jinmurti(Idol of Jina) and Jinagam(Scriptures). We learn the alphabet by associating in our mind a certain picture representing a particular letter. We read "a" for apple and "b" for book. Gradually, we give up the symbolic pictures and read the alphabet easily. Similarly, to begin with, we require an image of God and also his words (scriptures) to help us in getting true happiness.
Whatever may be the form of worship, we choose, we should bestow our full love, respect and devotion, in worship of Jina.
How to worship and what rites to perform is told in Scriptures, which must be followed properly, otherwise, desired fruits will not be obtained.
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