Life of Shrimad Rajchandra

Author(s): Manu Doshi
Publisher: Manu Doshi

Page 25

the path treaded by them and for being atoned for the wrongs indulged by virtue of the bondage of Karma. This lesson is memorized and recited daily by thousands of aspirants.
Detachment is the true nature of religion' is the title of the next lesson. That is very effective in drawing the attention of the readers towards true religion and in awakening the discerning ability. It states: "There are many religious beliefs prevailing in the world. In order to examine them dispassionately, it is necessary to bear in mind that soul does not feel at peace, where one is asked to avail of the sensual pleasure, wealth, merriment, or leisurely rest. If those aspects can be termed as religious, the entire world is religious. ... From the spiritual viewpoint, the soul has been drifting in the world by virtue of the sensual impurity. That impurity can be removed by using the water of highly pure mode. A Guru, who has renounced everything, washes the soul-cloth by putting it on the stone of right conduct, with the soap of basic truth and the water of detachment. In this analogy all other means would be of no avail in absence of water of detachment. Thus detachment constitutes the essence of religion. Since the religion propounded by the omniscient urges for detachment, it should be regarded as the essence of religion."
Thereafter there are three lessons pertaining to differences in religious beliefs. That is given in the form of questions and answers so as to cultivate the discerning ability. Vaidic, Sänkhya, Nyäy, Vaisheshik, Shakti, Vaishnav, Muslim and Christian preachers insist that what they believe is true and others are wrong and irrational. As such, they wrongly refute the others. How should we think in that light? What is the reason for differences among the various religions? The reply is: "Advocates of those religions gave thoughts to the extent of their level of intelligence. Whatever conclusions they came to with the aid of hypothesis, reasoning, similes etc. were adopted as ultimate truths and were propounded accordingly. The concept, which they resorted to, was presented from the unitary point of view. Of the different schools of thought relating to devotion, faith, morality, knowledge and action, any one concept was dealt with at length and others worth consideration were considered at fault.
"Moreover, the subjects dealt with by them were not known to them with all ins and outs. Still they described the same at length with all their intelligence. They proved their theories to the common intelligentsia by reasoning and to the simpleton with illustrations etc. Having the aspiration to gain reputation or to accomplish common good or to be worshiped as gods, they did it very ardently and were successful.
"Some attracted the attention of the people by fascinating and voluptuous means. The worldly people are drunk with fascination; being fascinated by such aspects they accepted to follow them like lambs and believed what those people said. Some adopted it by noticing therein a little bit of morality, detachment etc. The intelligence of the founders being greater than their own, they were later adopted as godly beings. After spreading their faith with the concept of detachment, some introduced luxurious aspects therein. If one did not like what the other said, he embarked upon a different path in order to set up his own faith or because of his own imperfections or on any other account. Thus there came about the snare of too many sects and creeds. Once a religion was observed for four or five generations, it became the racial creed. That happened from place to place."
"While reading about the characters, thoughts etc. of the founders of religions other than Vedänt, it is noticed that they were imperfect. Veds available at present are very ancient compositions and as such Vedänt is ancient. But that is faulty and imperfect by virtue of admitting of violence. Moreover, they are clearly the words of the attached people."
"The perfect school which is to be mentioned here is Jainism, which is set up by the unattached. Its advocates were omniscient and omni percipient. Though the time has changed, yet it seems well based. No one has perfectly described compassion, celibacy, discernment, detachment, knowledge, ritual etc. the way, they have done. Similarly, it contains so minute information about soul, its categories, conception, birth, destination, migration, places of birth, space, time and their forms that one would feel convinced of the omniscience of those people... Some of their canons