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CHAPTER-V
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flowers in Samavasarana and waving the whisk (over the head of Jina) etc. acts will prove to be the great sinner.
If you will say- "Their demeanour is of such type only," but the activity always bears its fruit. Ifit is a sin then Indras etc. being right believers, why shall they indulge in such act and if it is a pious act then why do you forbid it?
Here we ask you- “The kings, etc. went to offer obeisance and invocation to Tirthankar, even they go to far off places for the obeisance of monks, they move on the road for listening to discourses, so injury is involved in the way; food is offered to the co-religionists, necessary rituals (cremation and consecration, etc.) are performed on death of a monk. When a householder becomes monk, celebration takes place. All these practices are seen even today; so in all these acts injury is involved, but these acts are meant for the purpose of religion, no other purpose is there. If great sin is caused here in these acts, then you should negate all such acts done in the past. And now also those householders who perform such acts should relinquish them. And if these are religious acts, then, why do you confuse people by propagating that injury involved in religious acts is a great sin?
Therefore, it is proper to believe that if by spending some money, lot of money can be earned, then it is worthwhile; similarly, if some injury, etc. sin is involved in such activities which lead to the evolution of high degree of religious thoughts and dispositions then such acts are worthwhile. If a greedy, person spoils his work by not spending even a small amount of money, then he is a fool. Similarly, due to fear of some injury, great pious acts are forsaken, then he is assuredly a sinner. And if someone, by sacrificing more money, earns some money or does not earn at all, then he is a fool. In the same way, if someone, by indulging in highly injurious acts, creates lot of sins and engrosses himself somewhat in invocation, etc. religious activities, or does not engross at all, then he is assuredly a sinner. And as someone earns wealth without any sacrifice and afterwards unnecessarily spends money, then he is a fool. Similarly, if one's Upayoga remains engaged in religious activities involving no injury, then it is not desirable to engage one's Upayoga in the religious activities where
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