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SEEING HOLY LIFE IN PRACTICE
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near Sravana Belagola in Karnataka many of these feet can be found. The monks came to these places to die. Brahmāchārinī will die in the same way when her time has come. We visited several places where friends of hers had entered another form of existence in that way. Laymen and -women can also take sallekhana. The last phase of life and the last thoughts are very important for one's future. They strongly influence the experiences of one's consciousness in the period between physical death and rebirth as well as the mood in which one is reborn. We too should try to prepare ourselves to die in emotional peace, with our mind directed towards the eternally immortal and with the silent wish to continue selfless compassionate service in the future.
I felt immediately at home in the community of these monks. I soon got used to their nudity, and I found myself in contact with a group of extraordinarily sympathetic and valuable people. Thanks to their openness concerning any philosophical or spiritual subject and their interest in my studies and ideas, I felt that I was among real friends. The people have nothing and desire nothing, and can not hide anything about themselves. They can not tell untruths, can not snatch anything from you, and they expect no reward from you whatsoever. I have been able to have deep discussions with the few who spoke good English (photo 4), and with others when Brahmāchārinī acted as an interpreter. Matters concerning karma and reincarnation which I had never understood well now became clear to me. Their knowledge of Jainism was of course tremendous, and their clarity of mind was like crystal. But some of them were also well informed about certain matters such as developments in science. Without dogmatic reactions we could for example discuss the differences between Jainism and Buddhism, and how to reconcile certain scientific ideas with their old doctrines. They always remained humble and friendly and showed inexhaustible sympathy, even though sometimes we couldn't agree. For example, the Jain teachings are presented by the teachers in the form of an absolute dualism: life versus not
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