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The Jaina Philosophy
this department, on his duties, will be dismissed. Even in our business affairs that concentration is necessary, and if for the purpose of making a little money it is necessary that we should do this, how much more is it true in spiritual things! It is not an easy thing if money is the object, which it takes so much time and labour to accumulate; is much more difficult to acquire the spiritual knowledge. This brings us to the science of concentration.
We have to observe the physical rules and mental rules of concentration. How can we concentrate our attention? In a sense all of us do concentrate; we only do not know that we do it.
Many of us are fond of certain things and spend much time in the pursuit of those things. Those who are fond of books will always go to a book-store to see what new books have arrived and purchase and read them. Those who are fond of newspapers will wait when the newspaper comes out of the press, to secure the first copy and read it. If we can concentrate our thoughts on these subjects why should we not be able to concentrate our thoughts on the right subjects? If our object of life is only to secure a few facts in each department, that is the right thing for us to do. If we desire to keep up with the times then we have to know all the things which are necessary for our information, and this can only be done by concentrating our thoughts. If the department of life in which we are engaged is such that our very maintenance depends on the knowledge of these things we must concentrate Upon them. Will this really advance us? The ordinary result is that we become fond only of unimportant things, later on, of sensational things and still later on of those things which will satisfy our morbid appetites.
That is the reason why there are so many sensational novels written. All these things are really injurious. When a murder is committed and the information concerning it is published, people are after the extra papers, and read the details with eagerness.
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