________________
462
I am the Soul release of all knots inside and outside is the state of nigrantha. Srimadji too has described the nirgrantha state as the castingoff of the sharp ties of all relations.
Grantha is a knot. The internal and external knots have a deep relation. Where a jiva takes birth, especially in the human form, it has several relations for which it does not have to make any efforts in this life. By virtue of the residual ties of the previous birth, the new relations with parents and siblings are formed the moment jiva is born. The relations with friends are developed with an understanding. That is to say a knot is tied. What knot is this? With whomsoever a relation is established, when the feelings of attachment of the self are tied to the feelings of attachment of another, it is a knot and that is when a relation is established. In the same way, the relation of enmity is also established. There the jiva ties the knot of aversion. This is granthi - the knot. In the attainment of the nirgrantha state of a jiva, these knots are a hindrance.
It becomes impossible to get immersed in the meditation of the atma. If the thread, that has to pass through the eye of the needle, has a knot on it, then the thread cannot pass. Why! If after the thread passes through the eye of the needle and then a knot is added, then the thread does not pass through the cloth. Brothers! Wherever there are knots, this is how it is! Knots obstruct progress. They do not let you proceed further. But look at our paradox! The jiva likes to add on knots of both attachment and aversion. This jiva harbours the wish to increase the relations of attachment as much as possible, and the feeling to further strengthen the relations of aversion.
The tremendous effort in loosening and then getting rid or cutting off these knots of attachment and aversion is the tremendous effort of attaining the nirgrantha state. Simultaneously, the internal nirgrantha state has also to be attained. That is attainable only with the abandoning of the
Jain Educationa International
For Personal and Private Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org