________________
70
Letter 11
Those people who are not aware of this, silly questions arise in their minds out of ignorance. Questions like-Oh! some one has gained so much knowledge of the scriptures, then how come he has still not attained Right Belief? They even go to the extent of saying that, since you have got thorough knowledge of the scriptures, why don't you renounce your family etc. and become a Munigfa?
Don't you know the story of the king Vrushabhdev? Right from birth he was a Samyakdrishti and was Samyakdnyani. Yet he ruled over his kingdom for 83 Lakh poorva years. Though he had right conduct he had not attained the purity of conduct to that extent which is a pre requisite for a monk's status. To attain the conduct of that degree befitting a monk, it took him so many years. Because each attribute does perform its own modification and not of other's. Here we realise that the attribute of belief does not perform the activity of conduct.
Please note that this example has been quoted in order to explain the Vastutva attribute, and not to take the liberties and to have unrestrained behaviour.
The Jeev substance performs its own specific activity, to perceive and to know. But it cannot perform the activity of any other soul or Pudgal.
But out of ignorance we believe that 'I' perform the activities of other substances. I can change the modifications of other substances as per my wishes. And if by chance or fluke the modification of the substance which happens by its own purposeful activity takes place according to our wishes then we proudly take the credit of performing the modification. We strongly feel that we are the sole performers of all the activities and start believing that, had I not been there, no work or activity would have taken place.
We become egoistic, the whole and sole doers, creators and performers of all the activities happening around us. And if the performances and activities are otherwise, or do not happen according to our wishes and expectations then we are anxious, and unhappy.
Why does this stage arise? The main reason is that the Jeev has considered that he is the doer, or he has identified himself with the other substances, in this case the body which he considers as his own or himself, which is, in fact Pudgal.
He gets the wrong notion that he is the cause of the different activities of all the substances as per his wishes, that he is the doer l.e. Karta af and he can enjoy the fruits of these modifications, that is he is Bhokta भोता.
Jeev considers the body to be himself, or considers it as 'mine'. Then he has the false egoistic feeling that he is doing or performing all the activities of the body. And when the activities of the body take place in accordance to his will and wishes, he becomes all the more proud and
