Istopadesa The Golden Discourse

Author(s): Vijay K Jain
Publisher: Vikalp

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Istopadeśa - The Golden Discourse
momentarily, by one who is attentive to it and has completely suspended the activity of the senses and the mind. Such a shortlived glimpse of the Ideal can be experienced by a practitioner in the course of his effort in the direction of self-realization. The ideal soul, free from attachment and aversion, can also be known through unblemished scriptural knowledge by those who possess such inclination and also the cognitive capacity to think about the reality. The association of attachment and aversion with the soul vitiates its purity and, therefore, the quality of knowledge. And, as a result, the purity of conduct also gets vitiated. Hence, to attain the purity of conduct in the soul, knowledge must not be contaminated with attachment and aversion and also delusion, manifested in the form of passions like anger, pride, deceitfulness and greed.
Violence, falsehood, theft, unchastity, and attachment for possessions flee, without leaving a trace behind, from knowledge which has attained the form of the pure soul. Passions are highly inimical to the pure functioning of knowledge. Hence, elimination of passions from knowledge is a prerequisite to attain the purity of the soul. It is a grave mistake to lose interest in the spiritual purity of the soul and get allured by the outside objects of sensegratification. Only the Three Jewels (ratnatraya) comprising right faith, right knowledge and right conduct, have the power to lead the soul to its final goal of emancipation.
The man who aims at realizing the purity of his soul must steadfastly remain engaged in meditating on the pure Self. Then alone will he be able to cast off the dust of karmas clung to his soul from beginningless time. Meditating on the pure Self is the only certain and unfailing means to achieve the highest aim of human life. Life in other forms is not sufficiently evolved to achieve the supreme status of self-realization.
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