I am The Soul Part 01

Author(s): Tarulatabai Mahasati
Publisher: Shri Gujarati Shwetambar Sthanakwasi Jain Association

Page 77

I am the Soul
wakeful in the thought, if it is woven into the thought process, then it will naturally flow into the conduct; one does not have to be mindful to strive and bring religion into practice.
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If you were to perform an anushthana like samayika for say an hour, would you not think about it for a few minutes or a few seconds beforehand? What is samayika? How do we do it? Why should we do it? If we ponder deeply over such questions and seek their answers from deep within ourselves, then the joy of samayika will be startlingly different. And then the being will be excited to attain the Self, will be craving for it. Such should be the craving for the Soul, as has never been felt for any worldly object, only then will a seeker realise the Soul.
Once a pious Brahman youth, who was educated, reflective and a believer in the Soul, approached an enlightened saint. He bowed in reverence before the saint and expressed his desire
"Maharaj! I have heard your fame and come here seeking self-realization. Would you guide me?"
The saint was learned. He could read the sincerity of purpose in the youth. He kindly seated the youth beside him and was engrossed in his own work again. A few hours passed in this way. The saint was in fact testing the youth's patience. When the youth passed this test, the saint took him to a river close by. On reaching the river, he took the youth's hand and said -
"Come Son! Let us first purify ourselves in the river water."
The youth followed, thinking it must be a ritual before going in for self-realisation. They walked into waist-deep water and were soon it was chest-deep. The saint continued to lead the youth deeper and soon the water reached the youth's nose. The youth thought that perhaps that was as far as they would go. Yet the saint continued as if they were on solid ground. Soon the water was over their heads and the youth felt he would drown. A couple of steps further and the saint caught the youth by his hair and pushed him inside the water and again pulled him out thrice.