JAINA Convention 2015 07 Atlanta GA

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

Page 57

2015 JAINA Convention
Jainism World of Non-Violence
Is Religion Necessary? - Pujya Gurudevshri Rakeshbhai
clothes and shelter and yearn for something higher do you get connected with the Divine. This breathes life into your mechanical existence.
scared of living a religious life because you are not able to see religion as nectar and inreligiousness as poison. Instead, irreligiousness appears as nectar and so you are scared of losing it in living a life of devotion, you are afraid of losing sensual pleasures Ambitiousness and passion do not feel like cobras to you, how then will you practise religion? Even if you attempt to follow it, you will do it with fear
about deceiving others. There is nothing stopping you from stealing or lying. God is a hindrance to living such a sinful life. Dishonesty becomes difficult. The guilt bites. As the connection with God strengthens, you realise that all such things that you could do previously are impossible to do now. While lying it feels as though some unknown power is pulling back your tongue from within and you stop. While sinning, you miss a heartbeat
Do Nor Make Wealth Your Goal
Religion is Changing of Beliefs
To aspire for the Divine does not mean you give up all your duties and responsibilities and do nothing Devotion is not to become inactive and lazy. Money is required for the necessities of life but let your heart be filled with the Divine alone. Even at work, attempt to listen to the ongoing inner divine melody. Do not make work your goal. Let hoarding wealth not be the purpose of your life. Organise your life in a way that you have enough time for devotion and meditation
Life Without the Divine
Saints say, indeed the Divine is not needed to live a mundane life. But closely examine your life and think. Without the Divine, what else remains in your life that is worthwhile? There is money but no freshness of flowers, no poetry of sweet feelings or dance of eestasy in life.
People get lost in the worthless Casting away the inner treasure of the soul, they buy pebbles of sensual gratification. This invaluable human life, which they could have utilised for oneness with the Divine, is whiled away in collecting paper notes. All these notes will be left behind. Who has ever been able to take money with them? Yet, the world sees wealth as that which stays and can buy happiness, peace and security
All that you find in the world are the means. The goal is the Divine within. Therefore, see everything as the means to reach this ultimate goal. Utilise your wealth, family, body, mind and heart, all of these only for the attainment of the Divine. Apply all that you have towards fulfilling that alone. Surrender your intelligence, beliefs, dreams, plans to Him for Him to manifest in you
Have you ever found yourself doing everything that you are expected to de, but still feeling like something is missing? Do you experience an inner void, in spite of having even luxuries of life? Pajye Gurudevri compassionately explains what that missing factoris
Religion is first, a change in your understanding your beliefs. That is followed by a change in the extemal way of life. Only when your false belief that 'wealth gives happiness changes, will your blind chase cease. Without the strength of right belief, merely striving for a spiritual goal indicated by someone cannot bring the necessary force.
How to Start the Spiritual Journey
The question may arise, 'Are spiritual practices, meditation, devotion etc. really necessary to live life? Can life not be lived without these pursuits?
The answer is, life is not only about necessity, it is far more than that. The one living a calculated life based solely on necessities has not known the beauty of life. Vain is his birth and in vain he lives. Living just for the necessities of life is sheer drudgery. The poetry of life sprouts from the state beyond that
Do you feel that when Meera danced wearing her anklets, she felt it was necessary for her to dance? Did she need dance to live? There were millions who could live without dancing. But what Meera had in her life - fragrance, colour, melody, cestasy, they all lacked in their lives. The depth in Meera's eyes, the radiance on her face, a heart glowing as if lit with thousands of lamps of divine love and hues of raptures, where did others have such a life? Life can be lived without celebration, but then it is like a tree without leaves, flowers or fruits. People call it a tree but what is there in such a tree? Such will be your life without the Divine
The Enlightened Ones say that to begin the divine journey in the right way, first know clearly that what you are consuming now is poison. Examine well your inclinations, beliefs, activities, plans, fancies, dreams, thoughts, reactions. They are filled with poison-like sorrow, fear, discord and stress alone. Experience them well. This should be your own conclusion He who has done this much is already half way to immortality Recognising darkness as darkness means a ray of light has already pierced through. The first and most difficult step has been taken
You want to attain the bliss of religion without changing yourself. This is not possible. Until you are tired of worldliness, you cannot begin your journey towards the Self. Seeing your present sad state, as it is, is the first drop of that nectar which when swallowed will create thirst for the Divine, increase your efforts to attain Him, and make you worthy of drinking the ocean of bliss. Muster courage! Taking refuge in the Sadguru, bravely endeavour. You will certainly be successful
The truth is life can go on even without the Divine. Actually without Him, it supposedly runs better and far more comfortably because you will have no qualms
Life without God has no meaning, no dignity, no joy. If your life stops at working for necessities, you are a mere machine. The machine too needs fuel, space, and security. But it cannot dance and sing. Only when you rise above your concerns regarding food,
This experience itself will persuade you to pursue the nectar-like religion and attain peace. You are
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