JAINA Convention 2011 07 Houston TX

Author(s): Federation of JAINA
Publisher: USA Federation of JAINA

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JAINA CONVENTION 2011
"Live and Help Live"
Do I Need to Give Up Happiness to be Religious? Pujya Gurudevshri Rakeshbhai
Propounding the path of Bhagwan Mahavira, the torchbearer of Shrimad Rajchandraji's mission, Pujya Gurudevshri Rakeshbhai is a spiritual visionary and a modern day mystic. He is illuminating thousands of lives in various countries through enlightening discourses and an array of of meditation retreats. His divine benevolence has uplifted a multitude of underprivileged lives through inner augmentation and societal development. +91 9820095697 amit.gala@shrimadrajchandramission.org
Happiness is your True Nature. It is your right to be happy. Religion teaches you how to be happy. Only if your life is a celebration, full of love and joy; if you dance with happiness will you be religious.
The ignorant however are unable to comprehend the essence of religion. They fail to grasp the simple truth that religion means to be happy and to spread happiness. Much ignorance prevails regarding religion.
Ignorance about religion
Do you harbour the belief that religion means suffering, inflicting pain on yourself? Just as the belief that happiness can be attained from external things is not true, so also the belief that one should suffer to become religious and attain happiness in another lifetime, is not true. 'Religion means suffering,' if that is your belief, you must correct it immediately, because in this way you will only create a society of masochists, rooted in sorrow. All your so called religious activities in life will revolve around unhappiness. To respect unhappiness can never be religion.
A fakir named Zusia was lying on his deathbed. Someone asked him, "Did you observe your austerities and practise your vows properly? Will you be able to face God?" He replied, "I know God very well. He is not a wicked person who will ask, 'How many days did you remain hungry?' He will ask, 'How happy were you? On how many occasions were you able to remain unaffected by situations, revelling in the bliss within?"" For one who has found boundless joy within, thoughts of food and other things no longer
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bother him. He is the one who practises true austerity. Appreciate such a practitioner of austerity, honour him with grand processions, prostrate yourself at his feet. Such a person can truly be called religious. But you worship an unhappy person and one who is unhappy, is not religious. Why then, do you honour such a person? In fact, he should be pitied. By praising those who are ignorant, you are exhibiting your own ignorance! By believing that those who make themselves and others unhappy are religious, you are associating religion with unhappiness and committing a grave mistake. That is why unhappiness is the goal of your life and unhappiness is where you end up.
Your false beliefs about religion are so strongly rooted that you are not willing to budge, even by an inch. You are willing to be unhappy, but not to change your perspective. You cannot see a religious person being joyful, nor can you accept that a joyful person is religious. You have linked religiousness with unhappiness. However, religion is undoubtedly the ultimate destroyer of all suffering. Religion is the art of being in a state of happiness. If you become religious in the true sense, you will inevitably become joyful. One whose life is full of joy is dear to God. Such a person remains happy in any situation. The characteristic of a happy person is
contentment.
What is true religion?
Religion shows you a greater source of happiness. It tells you to dive deep within and know your True Self. This is not a difficult