Book Title: Meditation and Enlightenment
Author(s): Chandraprabh
Publisher: Jityasha Foundation

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Page 100
________________ Thinking of the supreme-being through disciplining of breath/95 A man is born with the body, and goes on living in the bodysense. Therefore, the major part of a man's life is spent as a Shoodra. The person who thinks that he is only body, is surely a Shoodra. He may be a Buddhist, a Jain or anything else, he is but a Shoodra. “I am a body-form, I wash my body, decorate my body--so long as this sense will persist, a man will remain a shoodra. A person transplants attachment within himself due to body, due to something inanimate; in the language of Mahavira the name of that transplant is falsehood, and in the language of Shankara that is illusion. Let alone the world, even the beginning of the life of a common man can not take place with illusion and falsehood. It cannot take place without learning nor with ignorance. It begins with rationalism and knowledge. It happened long ago. A 'faqir' (a muslim sage) arrived near the palace of the emperor Brahmin and told the gate-keeper posted there--"I have to stay in this inn.” The gate-keeper laughed : “Are you in your senses? This is a palace, not an inn.” The 'faqir' became adamant : he would stay only in that inn. By chance, the emperor, seated on the balcony above, was listening to the dialogue of both. He called the faqir inside and asked, "On what basis do you call this palace an inn, and insist on staying in it?” Instead of replying to this question, the faqir put a counterquestion, "Who lived in this palace before you ?” The emperor said, "My father lived here before me.” The faqir asked again, “Who lived here before your father ?” The emperor said, “My father's father.” “And before him ?" the faqir asked again. This time the emperor said, “Before that my father's father's father lived here.” Now the faqir said, “When so many persons came here, stayed here and left, then it is only an inn. Today, you are here, tomorrow your son will reside here. Isn't it an inn then ?” The emperor had no reply. Said, “O faqir ! Really you have made me understand that it is just an inn.” The emperor knew himself and from there started his ‘Brahmanatva' (living in the supreme soul sense). Brahmanas should feel themselves, how much Brahmana they are ? Please do not erect the standards of life on the basis of life, Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

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