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I am the Soul
firmly. I should weaken it." So thinking, if on the entire day of the fast, the same observation, the same resistance continues within, then the affected disposition will surely weaken and it will be possible to experience the extent to which the vrtti has weakened.
Brothers! This is nirjara! Such affected vrttis arise within as a result of the rise of Karma. But if they are fought against, they will weaken and even get destroyed. In the same way, the vrttis of passions like anger etc., are also lying within us. Whether somebody else knows or not, we ourselves know how angry we get and for what reason. Where and when we can forgive. How much ego there is, what sort of inducement it needs, when it rises, and when it remains subsided. In the same way, when the feelings for the material world and the feelings of greed and aversion arise. When simplicity and contentment can be displayed? All these are the good and bad dispositions lying within us and we are fully aware of them.
When we resort to penance and sacrifice, the first goal should be of weakening all these vrttis. For this purpose, the vrttis have to be examined constantly. Which vrtti has weakened and to what extent, after performing the fast? Whether it is now possible to maintain equilibrium given the same situation which used to trigger off anger earlier and is the anger of the same intensity as before? Think and observe in the case of other passions and feelings too.
If there is a positive change in the situation before and after the penance, if in spite of stimulation the jiva is not getting affected and is getting less affected, then it is to be understood that there has been a nirjara of karmas due to the penance. And if the situation has not changed, if it is status quo, then there has been no nirjara. This is the yardstick for nirjara. There is no scope for saying 'must have happened'. We can ourselves experience the result.
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