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I am the Soul
565 substance as it is is Samyak jnana and not knowing a substance as it is or for that matter knowing it as it is not, foisting the false beliefs of one self on to the substance is a great ignorance. This in other words is called mithyatva. It does not allow the true understanding to arise and confuses the jiva with perverse beliefs which results in a terrible loss.
Mithyatva creates the illusion of something being there when it is not; it instils the belief that leads to mistaking a kudeva for sudeva, kuguru for suguru and kudharma for sudharma. In the same way, jiva is mistaken for ajiva and ajiva for jiva. It prohibits the true understanding of the path of the Veetarag. Thus the ignorance due to mohaniya misleads the jiva. The reason why the jiva has not been able to attain moksa until now is this ignorance. While the ignorance due to jnanavarniya does not inflict a very great damage on the jiva. Jiva may not be able to study, may have difficulty in remembering, may not be able to learn things by heart in spite of a great effort – but moksa is not hindered due to all these.
The character of Mashatusha Muni is famous in our history. He had a strong rise of jnanavarniya karma. In spite of unlimited effort, he could not remember even a single gatha from the scriptures. He was very sad. Other Munis were experts in the Scriptures, but he could not learn anything. He went and lamented before his Gurudev. The Guru was an experienced great man. He knew that this Sadhu suffered from the rise of a strong jnanvarniya karma. But there were no feelings of mithyatva in him. Attachment and aversion had become subdued, the atma had gone into a state of low karma and subdued passions. To keep up the spirits of the Muni, the Guru gave him a beautiful and meaningful chant -- HTC HTSU - Ma rusha ma tusha, and said, ‘O Blessed One! Since you cannot remember much, you merely chant this. You will be able to go through without difficulty'. The Muni started happily chanting the sutra. He was immersed
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