Pictorial Philosophical Balpothi

Author(s): Bhuvanbhanusuri
Publisher: Divya Darshan Trust

Page 15

THE RELIGION
Practicing the religion brings us happiness, whereas committing sins drags us into unhappiness. By committing sins, we have to be born as dog, cat, insects or ants. In the hell, we shall have to be tormented by the devil. Practicing the religion takes us higher, we can become dev in heavenly planes and attain moksha (salvation). There is no pain thereafter. There is happiness and nothing but the happiness.
The duties as told by the ommiscient vitarag god are the real religion. He has shown four kinds of duties i.e. Charity Character, penance and spirit. (A) Charity Means -
(1) Worship of God should be carried out with milk, Sandal, saffron, flowers, incense, lamp of ghee,
rice, fruits and naivedya (sweets, sugar biscuits, sugar etc.) should be offered. (2) Sadhu-Muniraj should be given gochari (alms): offer of food, clothing, medicines etc. should be done. (3) The handicapped, helpless, blind, orphaned, poor and unhappy people should be given food, clothing,
blankets in cold days etc. (4) Not a single living being like ants etc. should be killed. To avoid this, one should look downwards
to the ground while walking. (5) To donate for religious purpose. [like construction of derasar-upashray, (Jain Temple and a hall for religious
purpose) helping co-religionists, spiritual camps, religious schools etc.)
(6) To give religious knowledge to others and to assist in it. (B) Character means - Celibacy, good conduct, abstinence, samayik, and to have uttermost faith in Bhagwan Arihant,
Guru, religion. To respect God, guru, parents, teacher, elders etc. and to enjoy a religious life. (C) Penance means - Doing navkarshi (taking food after 48 minutes of sunrise after counting navkar with fist), porasi,
biyasanu, ekasanu, ayambil, upvas etc. according to one's capability; Eating less than the hunger; Renouncing any - of the things that makes mind filthy i.e. milk, ghee, sweets etc; To suffer pain peacefully within religious act; To study religion; to confess sins before guru (expiation); To serve the sangh; contemplation etc. One should do as much as
possible from these. (D) Spirit means - To have devout thoughts like, "Oh, this world is unsubstantial. The body is perishable. Only the
religion is substantial. Parmeshthi like Arihant etc. are the real saviours. All the beings are my friends, Get saved from the sins, may all become happy, all the beings attain moksha. I'm nothing but only the soul; the body is separate from me."
Nonviolence, restraint and penance are the real religion. The base of religion is samyakatva. Samyakatva itself isArihant is the only God acceptable to me. I have deep faith in his sayings. Only a real sadhu is acceptable to me as a guruand I have faith and respect for him.
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