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46. Where to Find Samyag Darshan
Munishri Lalluji heard news of the death of Lallubhai, a jewel merchant from Surat, after a prolonged illness of about ten months. Munishri Lalluji had also been ill for a similar period. This coincidence troubled him, and he was worried that he might also die. While a true seeker does not fear death, he or she is more concerned about his or her spiritual progress and aspires to attain the highest spiritual state before death. Munishri requested Shrimad to grant him Samyag Darshan, 'right vision'. In response, Shrimad wrote the letter of six fundamental tenets' and also reminded him not to fear death.
The letter reflects the philosophy which lay at the heart of Shrimad's spiritual life. The six tenets are: 1) The soul exists; 2) The soul is eternal; 3) The soul is the author of its own Karma; 4) The soul bears the fruits of these Karma; 5) There is Moksha; and 6) There is a path to Moksha. The letter outlines the nature of the soul and its relationship with the material universe. Through an understanding of these relationships, and the guidance of a True Guru, the individual will progress.
The opening sentence is full of meaning: "Let us revere, with utmost devotion, the holy True Guru who provides us refuge like no other."
There is much pain and suffering in this world, and the soul does not know where to seek refuge. Happiness is within the soul, where we can seek refuge. The easiest path to the realisation of the Soul is the guidance of a True Guru. The letter directly relates the step-by-step process of attaining Samyag Darshan, the Right Vision. The letter concludes by offering four types of homage to a True Guru. It outlines the importance of devotion to a true self-less Guru. Through such devotion, we come to understand the subtleties of this process, of which they are a living example. Taking guidance with humility from a True Guru will help the soul overcome the arrogance or hubris that it knows better and which has lead to countless rebirths.
Munishri Lalluji said of the letter : "If a person has cultivated certain qualities, and then reads this letter, it will lead him into a thought process which will finally result in Samyag Darshan, so wonderful is this letter."
While Shrimad was still in Surat, Muni Devkaranji told him that Munishri Lalluji accused him of arrogance delivering his sermons and that there was not stillness in his meditation. He asked Shrimad for an explanation.
Shrimad replied: "Whatever is practised with Svachchhand (hubris) is all arrogance. Whatever is done with the guidance of a True Guru is true religion and will benefit the soul."
