Life of Shrimad Rajchandra

Author(s): Manu Doshi
Publisher: Manu Doshi

Page 24

"Why did the enlightened advocate detachment?' is the title for the next lesson. It states that the worldly life is totally unhappy, disorderly, unsteady and impermanent. Staying enamored of it is identical to a butterfly jumping in light. The attachment of a sovereign ruler for the worldly pleasures is comparable to that of a pig. In that respect it states:
"Both of them display the contemptibility in availing the sensuous pleasure, both the bodies contain meat, puss etc. When this is the state of the topmost position in the world, when such unhappiness, impermanence, triviality and blinding prevail even in that state, where else can we find happiness? That is not real happiness. Still if you consider it happy, the happiness, which is associated with fear and impermanence, is really unhappiness. The enlightened have turned their backs towards it in view of the infinite pain, infinite grief and infinite unhappiness of the worldly life, and that is correct. It is not worth looking at it. There is mere misery and unhappiness, it is the sea of miseries. ... Detachment is the only reliable guide that can lead to the infinite happiness."
A major subject like Lord Mahavir's Order has been dealt with in the next lesson like containing the sea in a bowl. While outlining the Lord's life from birth to salvation, it has been specified that the said order is going to continue for 21000 years. It further says:
"There are too many divisions within the Jain Order. All of them remain involved in slandering one another. The nonbiased people do not get involved in differences and come to the basics of Jain instructions by exercising their discernment. They stay turned towards the monks of high character and restrain themselves with right concentration. ... Do we ponder over the fundamentals? Do we think of the best conduct? Do we regularly spend our time in religious matters? Do we keep in mind the uplifting of the religious Order? Do we seek the essence of religion with fervor? ... Hardly any one knows the essence. There are more half-knowledgeable, who like to doubt, instead of caring to know. There are also egoistic people. But there are very few, who test what they learn on the scale of basics.... In short, it may be said that we should be concerned about the well being of soul and should not get involved in differences. We should remain in contact with the highest and peaceful monks and resort to pure conduct, discernment, compassion and forgiveness. If possible; we should give discerning rational advice in the interest of Lord Mahävir's Order. We should not indulge in doubts on the basis of our short intellect. Our bliss lies therein and we should not lose sight of it."
What is impurity?' is the title of the next lesson. Bathing is forbidden as a part of nine-fold fence of celibacy. That has been justified on the following grounds.
"There is no discernment in treating physical dirtiness as impurity. Consider what the body is made of. It is the storage of blood, bile, excreta, urine and mucus. All of that is merely covered by the skin. Does that make it pure? Moreover, the monks do not do anything worldly, whereby they may need to take bath. ... Bathing results in several impurities like destruction of innumerable minute beings, arousal of passion, breach of restraint and adverse inclination. The soul gets very unclean thereby and primarily we need to think about it. ... Dirtiness of soul is the real impurity. ... That should be avoided with right understanding. There is no pure school of thought like the Jain school. It does not advocate impurity. But true nature of purity and impurity needs to be understood.
The next lesson deals with the routine daily activities. It urges for regular observation of wholesome conduct by the religious people and states that behaving in accordance with that would be very blissful.
Thereafter there is the well-known lesson of Kshamapanä (atonement), which one needs to recite every day. While humbly presenting our faults in front of the Lord, it points out how unsheltered we are. As such, we need to adopt the shelter of the Lord, his precepts and his monks while repenting for the sins indulged in. We need to think deeply about the nature of Lords and make sure that our true nature is also like theirs. As such, we should pray for staying day and night on