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Shri Mahavir Jain Aradhana Kendra
www.kobatirth.org
Acharya Shri Kailassagarsuri Gyanmandir
115
A südhu is like a doctor because he remedies the maladies that afflict the minds of people and nurses them so that they may get spiritual health.
A sadhu is like a postman because he goes to every door and communicates the message of Lord Mahāvira.
There are five factors that can cause the fall of a sādhu or affect the purity and nobility of his life. They are : (1) discourses, (2) familiarity, (3) newspapers, (4) fame and (5) flattery.
A sādhu may become proud of himself thinking that his discourses are excellent. Listeners may think that he is a great scholar but true knowledge is that which is devoid of pride. The great poet Tulasi Dās has said:
ज्ञान मान जहँ एकहुँ नाहीं ॥
Gnän mān jahari ekahu nāhim. (Knowledge and pride do not abide togethr :)
The second cause for the fall of a sādhu is familiarity. Too much of familiarity with grihasthas (householders) is not good for sādhus. A sadhu requires as much care and caution in his contacts and dealings with householders as a doctor takes when he goes to attend on T.B. patients. In the absence of such caution, the doctor himself may get the disease.
If sādhus read rewspapers, they would be wasting their precious time that should be given to the study of sacred books. Moreover, a sādhu becomes famous if his name is printed in the newspaper. Love of fame acts like an intoxication. Just as a drinker, keeps drinking liquors off and on a sādhu desires to see his name printed in newspapers off and on. The readers praise the sādhu when they see his name in the newspapers. All people love praise and flattery. Just as the senses are interested in sensual delights, the mind becomes interested in praise and flattery. Love of flattery causes a moral fall.
On account of these five causes, the sādhu's life of purity and self-discipline is polluted. Sadhus must try
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