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Jaina Philosophy and Religion
as soon as it comes in contact with them. The degree of the influence of the taint depends on the degree of their contact. From this follows the necessity of our seeking and securing good purifying situations as also of our living through them. The nature of attachment-free God is absolutely pure and peaceful. Tainting influences of attachment and aversion are totally absent there. So, by worshipping Him, by contemplating on Him, the feeling of non-attachment arises in the worshipper and gradually advancing on this path, he can ultimately become attachment-free. It is a common experience that in the company of a beautiful woman one experiences feelings of a special type, the sight of a son or a friend generates a feeling of affection and that of an unperturbed and calm monk causes the experience of calmness and mental peace. The company of the good inculcates good qualities; and that of the bad, bad qualities. "Good company, good influence; bad company, bad influence' so the saying goes. Now, imagine as to how beneficial the company of the attachment-free God can be. What is meant by His company? His company means to recall Him to one's mind, to contemplate on Him, to praise Him and to worship Him. His constant and close company has the purifying influence on the worshipper, with the result that the vicious feelings of attachment and aversion start subsiding. This is the prime and real fruit of worshipping God. He expects nothing from the worshipper, nor does He favour him with something. The devotee worships Him simply to elevate his soul spiritually. Making God an object of his worship and meditation, the devotee earns the proper fruit, viz., internal purity.
One who goes near fire is relieved of shivering pain due to cold simply on account of the nearness of fire. Fire does not call any person, nor does it give any fruit to anybody. Similarly, by the fire of meditation of God the cold of attachment by itself disappears and the fruit of spiritual development or internal purity is attained. Constant recalling of the good qualities of God to mind removes mental impurities, causes the development of internal purity and leads the soul on the path of spiritual progress. The devotee attains this fruit by his own spiritually elevating efforts, and not by the grace of God.
It is true that the person who passes his time in the company of a prostitute acquires bad desert. But who gives him bad desert? To regard the prostitute as a giver of the bad desert is not proper because firstly she does not know what the bad desert is and secondly no one is able to generate bad desert in another person. So, it is only the impurity of
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