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Shri Mahavir Jain Aradhana Kendra
www.kobatirth.org
Acharya Shri Kailassagarsuri Gyanmandir
161
A great preceptor was preaching a sermon to thousands of followers on the bank of a lake. The preacher felt an itching sensation on his back and he scratched his back with his fingers. The followers thought they too should do this action of scratching their backs with their fingers. The people in every line did the same. On account of this, unawares the people in the front line pushed those in the back line with their elbows. The people in every line did so and this continued upto the last line, and those in the last line pushed by the elbows of the people before them fell into the lake. When they came out with their wet clothes and asked those in front of them why they had pushed them thus, they said, “We do not know. We were standing behind and we were pushed by those in front of us." This was the answer given by those in every line. When finally, the question reached the preceptor himself and when he explained the reason for his action, all felt ashamed of their foolishness and stupidity. If you perform such rituals as Pooja (worship), pratikramana, paushadha, tapa, prathyākhyāna, sāmayik, vandan, etc. merely imitating others without understanding their true significance, you will not get any benefit from them, you will be only wasting your time. Your soul must be involved in those activities. You should perform those activities only after understanding their true significance, otherwise you will have only the feeling of pride that you have performed religious activities. But, you will get no benefit from them. It will not be dharma but only a show of it.
A certain gentleman returned to his village after marrying a lady. The villagers could not believe that he was married because he had not brought his wife with him. His father-in-law and mother-in-law had told him that he could take his wife after a month. But the villagers here thought that he was uttering a lie. His sense of self-importance was offended. So, at once he returned to his father-in-law's house and told him that he would like to take his wife with him the very next day and requested him to make arrangements to that end. The father G.S.-11
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