Namokar Mahamantra Ek Anushilan

Author(s): Hukamchand Bharilla
Publisher: Todarmal Granthamala Jaipur

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GREAT HYMN OF OBEISANCE: A CONTEMPLATION
DEVOTION AND MEDITATION
but today how many devotees are there who worship selflessly? Besides, the talk of selfless devotion is also not natural, not also scientific; because, in the universe none is seen doing anything without any purpose.
Oh Brother! Is the devotion undertaken for the fulfillment of some selfish motive, really the devotion, this is business and business also of base quality. People go to Bhagwan and say that if his son's health gets restored, he would offer a parasol worth rupees one hundred one. Is this devotion? When you go to the Doctor, do you say so to the Doctor as well that his fees or the cost of medicine would be paid after the child's health is restored.
You do not have faith in Bhagwan even equivalent to what you have in the Doctor. If you had, why the talk of offering parasol only after the work is done would have arisen?
When did Bhagwan say that he would restore the health of the child if you offer parasol? All these are things of ignorance and not of devotion. The true devotion is the name of attachment with the virtues of Bhagwan. It has also been said, quer: wh: Guneshavanurag: Bhakti:
Attachment with virtues occurs without any selfish motive. True devotees also worship with selfless motive only. Selfless devotion is also scientific and natural. This we can understand very well with the example of a cricket player.
A person wants to become a batsman of international standard. He engages a coach also for special training, who helps him practice in the scorching heat of the month of Jeth; for this reason, he displays adequate gratitude towards him as well; even then he does not place his photograph in his room. He keeps in his house the photographs of world famous batsmen, Gavaskar and Kapildeo only.
Although it is true that the coach is the direct benefactor, but that coach is not his ideal, world famous batsmen are. How his ideal could be that coach, whose name has not appeared even in Ranji Trophy and not even in the District Team?
Although he has no direct contact with world famous batsmen, they do not coach him, don't show him anything, also they cannot coach, they cannot show; there is no correspondence relationship either with them, he has also never seen them in person, has merely seen them on the television; even then he has the highest regard in his heart for them, without any expectations; because they are his ideals, he wants to become one like them.
Is the sentiment of devotion of that person towards batsmen of international standard not natural, not scientific and in the normal course? If it is so, then why the selfless devotion of Jains is not in the normal course, why it is not natural, why it is not scientific? Is it that the devotion can be natural and normal in the course with worldly motive only?
According to Jain philosophy, when the objective of the worship of Bhagwan is to become one like him, then how the natural sentiment of devotion towards him could be unnatural?
Those with whom we have direct contact and those who teach us fundamentals (tattavas) or benefit us through some other way, perhaps, there could be our selfish motive behind our sense of gratitude towards them; but with whom we never had any contact and those who do not do anything for us, the attitude of veneration towards them would be entirely selfless, is it not so?
This is the reason, the devotion of Jains is selfless devotion and that occurs in the normal course, it is also natural; there is nothing unnatural about it.
Bhagwans of Jains never dispense objects of lustful pleasures and passions and materials that support such pleasures and passions, they also do not give even peace and happiness; they merely show the path to acquire real peace and happiness. It is also astonishing that Bhagwans of Jains show the method of becoming Bhagwan.
Please do show us if there is any philosophy in the world wherein its Bhagwan shows to his followers the path to become Bhagwan, like himself. All talk about getting engrossed in Bhagwan and obtaining his kindness, but the fact that you are yourself Bhagwan by nature and can
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