Light Of Life

Author(s): Padmasagarsuri
Publisher: Arunoday Foundation

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middle school, he will understand the value of knowledge, a little, and when he reaches higher levels, he will go to school or college of his own accord without any need for temptation or force.
He thus becomes perfect through the medium of love. This love is said to be of three states. Many times, people may think "'The Maharaj Sahib has been delivering discourses in the Upashraya. I will go there and listen to him. I will go to the temple. From these things I may get some benefit or profit". I say that you will surely get some benefit. I place before people this temptation that they will get some benefit. They will get spiritual and mental peace. Something is better than nothing. Those who keep making some endeavours are better than those who do nothing. If people keep making endeavours, some day, the dawn will surely awaken them. What is there which the Paramatma cannot give us ? He can give all things. He is perfect and he does not belong to a changeable state; and he can know all things directly. He can give us a full knowledge of Dharma. It is not true to say that temptation is always necessary. That is a benefit which can be attained by means of our own noble thoughts and feelings. We seek the refuge of the Paramatma in order to attain liberation from Aham or Egoism or the attachment to the self. We may get this deliverance by the grace of the Paramatma. We may get it by means of our own efforts or by our Prarabdha or Destiny. It is called so because we should get rid of our Aham (ego) and our distortions. We destroy our Aham by saying, "All this is the Paramatma's grace".
If you are not susceptible to temptation, there is another method, and that is causing fear in you. I can say "If you do not act thus, you will be punished severely. The consequences will be calamitous". Then you will act from fear. How long? Only until you do not realize the nature of Dharma, If you keep thus progressing, a time will come when you will pursue that path of your own accord with
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