Humanism of Haribhadra

Author(s): Christian Lindtner
Publisher: Z_Nirgranth_Aetihasik_Lekh_Samucchay_Part_1_002105.pdf and Nirgranth_Aetihasik_Lekh_Samucchay_Part_2

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Jambu-jyoti
7. Any attempt of impressing the truths of science upon a mind that is not quite tranquil will have a bad consequence. It would be [as silly as to apply] a soothing [medicine] against a fever that has newly arisen. [The patient will only get worse].
Christian Lindtner
8. When the moon or the sun has arisen, then even ten millions of pure flaming lamps will be of no use to a blind man. Likewise [it is useless] to teach [students] blinded by the darkness of ignorance.
9. A snake and a cow may drink pure water from the same pond. In the snake, however, it is changed into poison, but in the cow it becomes milk!
10. When good men and bad men drink the water of knowledge from the pond of true knowledge [i.e. Jainism], then that ["water"] is transformed into something true in good men, and into something bad in bad men !
11. Water with the same taste [as rain] falls from the sky and reaches. the earth. But then it changes its taste due to the many different repositories [in which it is imbued].
12. The word that emerges from the mouth of a [Jaina] preacher may have one and the same "taste" [or meaning]. Nevertheless, it will be perceived in different ways depending on the different attitudes of [the different listeners].
13. An example: Due to its own fault an owl cannot see when the sun is shining. Also, it happens that a kankaṭuka-bean is not prepared [for being consumed], even though it has become ripe, like any other [edible]. In the same way evil men may have been in touch with the Jaina doctrine-which really makes sense of all fundamental concepts but still, with their evil minds, do not understand it, event though they have the same opportunity [to listen] to its preaching [as other students do).
14. As a horse may leap up towards another horse, and as a boat may be tied to another boat in the midst of the ocean, thus modern society, clever in matters of public opinion only, roams wildly about on the waters of heedlessness [or superstition].