Book Title: Life of Shrimad Rajchandra
Author(s): Manu Doshi
Publisher: Manu Doshi

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Page 106
________________ The easiest way for liberation:- "Don't look out for anything else. Find out a saint and prevail by surrendering everything at his feet. If you do not get liberation thereafter, take it from me... If one life is spent in pleasing a saint, in adoring all his wishes, in adopting them as true, you will attain liberation within 15 lifetimes at the most." (76) "Aum. Liberation is within easy reach by boldly treading the path of the enlightened without indulging in despondency. When sensual inclination, defilement etc. become too strong, a thinking person grieves highly to notice his loss of vigor and repeatedly hates himself. Looking at it with abhorrence again and again, he resorts to the words and character of the saintly people and generates vigor within. By forcefully exerting that vigor he overcomes the sensual inclination etc. and does not sit at rest till then. The Self-seekers have resorted to that very mode and have succeeded in the end. Every liberation-seeker needs to keep this in mind and set it firmly at heart." (819) Reasons for extending the worldly life and the way to overcome it:- "Lord Tirthankar states that to talk adversely about the enlightened or to feel glorified about that is the cause of extending the worldly life infinitely. The Lord states that to adore the attributes of the enlightened, to feel glorified by such events, and to behave straightforwardly and vigilantly as per his commands lead to destruction of the infinite worldly life. Jain scriptures contain these words. Many people might be hearing those words. Very few are, however, seen, who might have rendered the first sentence fruitless and the second fruitful. On infinite occasions the worldly soul has fructified the first and rendered the second useless. One does not take time in coming within the clutches of that mode, because the soul has remained intoxicated with the drink of delusion. As such, it is necessary to repeatedly think over and to prevail under the circumstances concerned as per above-mentioned second mode with all possible vigor. (397) Teaching for those following the right path:- "Lord Tirthankar states that if one fondly indulges in sensual pleasure, he has not heard the words of the enlightened nor has he even seen the enlightened. If one's back discs are damaged, he mostly loses his strength. Similarly if one is hit with the stick of enlightened in the form of his words, he loses the warmth for indulging in sensual pleasure. So says Lord Tirthankar. "After seeing an enlightened being if one gets fascinated on seeing a woman, he has virtually not seen the enlightened being. After listening the words of the enlightened, the live body of a woman should seem as good as lifeless. Wealth and other property would surely seem as earthly degeneration. His soul would not be inclined to stay anywhere except by the side of the enlightened. "The enlightened were earlier telling such words to those who follow the right path. On hearing the same those simple beings were holding them at heart. They did not treat them as unimportant even on the pain of death." (454) "Oh, wonderful are the ambrosial words, facial features and contact of the saintly beings! So is their capacity to awaken the soul from its slumber, to hold those falling down, and to induce towards the faultless, unprecedented, true nature merely by having a glance at that! Victorious be the words, which are helpful in raising the conviction of Self, the ever-vigilant restraint, and the perfectly detached as well as self-absorbed nature. They can ultimately lead to manifestation of totally unconnected state and to abiding in infinite, unobstructed bliss." (875) The nature of worldly life and retreat from it:- "Lord Tirthankars and others have repeatedly instructed the living beings. Nothing can, however, work, if one wants to remain deluded. They have forcefully and repeatedly said that if one understands correctly, the liberation is easy; otherwise it is not possible even by resorting to infinite other means. It is not hard to understand it, because one has to understand own nature. That does not relate to someone else, who may try to hide or conceal it so that it may not be possible to make it out. How is it possible to maintain privacy from the self?

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