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I am the Soul
experienced a great lot in these few years, gone through a lot of ups and downs.” At such times the elders, the parents are a great help. They build confidence and courage in the youngsters telling them how they emerged successful out of such hardships. They also show the way for coming out of the difficulties.
In the spiritual path too, the hardships are not few! There too at every step difficulties keep cropping up. Firstly as the effect of the ignoble thoughts that we have nurtured earlier starts showing up and secondly, through the poor quality of our virtue. Both these reasons are instrumental in hindering the devoted pursuit.
The Prabhu has described the feelings that arise in the third gunasthana. That gunasthana is called mishra, where there is neither a taste nor a distaste for the words of the Jina. The jiva in whom such mixed feelings reside is said to be at the third gunasthana. Presume a noble soul, owing to his faith in the sages, is on his way to visit a sage for darshana. He meets a friend on the way. The friend asks, “Which way are you going?” The first man says, “There is a saint in town. He is very venerable. You too should join me, come on!” And the friend agrees. Both are on their way when a third man meets them. He too asks the same question, "Which way are you both going?”' The first man says, “To bow before the saints”. The third man is a very misguided fellow. He holds no interest for saints. He looks at the second friend and says, “Look, this fellow is mad! Are you too? Come with me. Nothing is going to come out of your visit there, come!” And the second friend turns back.
Now the second one who turned back is said to be of mishra - mixed - feelings. When the first friend offered to take him to the saint he agreed, and when the misguided fellow asked him to turn back he again agreed. He missed seeing the saint. Look at the hindrance! This hurdle! On the path of religion, such obstacles keep cropping up. Only the ones, who save us from such obstacles and guide us on the true path, are to be called 'apta purush'.
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