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30
Letter 5
Nature of Cosmos
October 2, 1993.
Letter 5 Dear Reena & Mona,
Blessings & Best Wishes.
I had been to Aurangabad during the Paryushan festival to deliver lectures. The response to these letters is very good. There was one lady by the name Mrs. Phursule, who holds collective study sessions for ladies in Aurangabad. She remarked saying, “ your letter about the nature of true God was extremely helpful in our discussions ! We read your letters collectively with keen interest. And everyone admires you for being such a wonderful mother."
You know Ramesh uncle from Mumbai. He too was very appreciative. He was saying that since his childhood, it was drummed into their minds that the holy scriptures have to be handled with great sanctity and reverence. Due to such restrictions and some other hard and fast rules he never dared to touch them, as a result they became show pieces in the show cases. Some time back he started reading Moksha Marga Prakashak, and Ratna Karand Shravakachar, but these scriptures were too hard to understand and digest so he kept them away. He was excitingly saying, “your letters are wonderful and extremely enjoyable and useful, especially the easy flowing-language in which they are written." You know your uncle is a very straight forward and an up right person, therefore I consider his compliments and good wishes as a blessing.
So far we have just gained primary knowledge of the scriptures. But in order to earnestly study the scriptures, to read, and to grasp their depth, we will have to learn certain terminologies, so that we can acquire more insight. Our situation right now is like that of a person who has invaluable treasures with him in his treasury, but has no access to the treasure because he has lost the keys. Just imagine the pitiable condition he is in.
In the same way we have hoards of collections of the scriptures, but in the absence of the proper knowledge of the appropriate terminology, the proper channels and the right approach, we are unable to unravel the treasures of knowledge these scriptures behold! It's just like how an alien in a foreign land, without knowing the dialect of the region is utterly helpless in understanding anything at all.
Viewing these difficulties, Pandit Gopaldasji Baraiyya, a renouned pandit of the previous century, wrote a book on the principles of Jainism,
