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set and then it becomes universally beneficial. In the end when the balloon of attachment bursts, the attachment is destroyed and one comes to the destroyed delusion or fully detached (vītarāga) state.
The practical form of the feeling of affection is service. In the scriptural language service is called 'vaiyāvrtya'. Vaiyrvrtya has been included among the six internal types of penance. The internal penance has a very important role in reduction and separation of karmic bondages. What is meant is that affection in the form of service is one of the very important means of karmic reduction and separation. It is for this reason that affection has been included among the eight attributes of right vision.
|As a mother looks after all her children with equal affection and she does not distinguish between one child and the other. Even then she knows the child that has more troubles needs more help from her and, therefore she accords priority to serving him. Likewise the weaker sections of the society, the poor and the weak need our help the most. Therefore to serve this lowest stratum of the society and to raise them to the level of the rest should be the first duty of the society at large and of the affectionate ones in particular. This feeling of affection is behind the concept of 'antyodaya' or the rise of the last of the downtrodden.
There is a feeling of affection in saving some creature. Affection is a godly quality. The Lord has universal affection. As the mother has the feeling of benefiting her offspring and all her activities are for their benefit, so the universally affectionate Lord also has the feeling of ouniversal benefit. If two sons of a mother quarrel or fight with each
other and hurt each other, she tries to stop them and tries to save them from any undesirable consequences. In this there is no feeling of discrimination for or against one or the other child. In her heart there is no feeling of attachment for one and that of aversion for the other child, she wants everyone's welfare. This feeling of affection that transcends attachment and aversion is the best feeling; it is not sinful because it destroys the feeling of attachment that shackles the soul. That is why affection has been termed as beneficial. The heart of the saviour is full
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Positive Non-Violence
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