________________
265
I am the Soul being achieved then it will be lamented. Why, in spite of so much Samayik, is there still the imbalance? If he visits the temple daily for darshan and poojas and if not even an iota of detachment arises, in spite of beholding the idol of the Veetaraaga, if the attachment and aversion are not subjugated, then he will feel hurt. Alas! I pray to the Veetaraaga daily, yet why don't the passions in me subside? If good deeds, vratas and vows are being performed with such a feeling, then there will be a day when all those vows and vratas will result in samwar, lead to Nirjara and there will be Moksa at the end.
So good conduct is not to be lost, but to be understood and followed. Whatever device leads to the awakening of the pure form of the atma, sadhana has to be performed through it. In no field of life, can success be achieved without a device. When devices are necessary even for the simplest of works, then to achieve the soul both external and internal devices are required. The internal devices are the awakening of the animate - knowledge, vision and conduct; the knowledge of the difference between jiva and the body. And the external devices are the vratas and vows.
Brothers! Did you know? Not only in the Jain tradition, but in other Indian traditions too, philosophy and religion have been discussed keeping the atma as the focal point. This is the speciality of the Indian philosophies.
Here, I shall say something - this itself is the major difference between Eastern and Western Philosophies. In the Eastern the atma is at the centre. The substances, principles, heaven and hell, karmas are all discussed around it, there is the discussion about the soul and the supreme soul and ultimately the discussion of the means to transcend from the soul to the supreme soul. Thus the Eastern Philosophy paves the way for the soul to reach the Supreme Soul. While the Western Philosophy only discusses the material world. What is a jiva? What is the world? What are they made of? What is the relation between the two? Well, that's
For Personal and Private Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
Jain Educationa International
