Book Title: Rishabhdev Founder of Jainism
Author(s): Champat Rai Jain
Publisher: Indian Press

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Page 145
________________ 122 RIŞABHA DEVA moment to moment, so long as it is not characterized by Right Faith, Right Knowledge and Right Conduct. Right Faith is acquired only when the energies of fanaticism, and of the worst forms of the four principal passions, namely, of anger, pride, deceit and greed are destroyed. No one who is filled with fanatical spirit, or is agitated by the most malignant form of the passions named, will ever be induced to listen to reason, or to study Religion in the spirit of sobriety and rationality. Therefore, these five kinds of forces have to be destroyed, or subdued, to acquire Right Faith. The seeker has also to rid himself of the tendency to compromise between fiction and fact (mixed truth and falsehood) and of his superstitions, to be able to take a truly rational view of things. These seven kinds of karmic energies gone, he is qualified to acquire the Right Faith. Right Knowledge is really presupposed in Right Faith, since belief (faith) follows knowledge. But it does not arise before the acquisition of Right Faith, inasmuch as it is only knowledge free from error, doubt and ignorance that is termed Right Knowledge, so that before that stage is reached knowledge is merely tantamount to information. It becomes Right Knowledge as soon as the seal of belief is placed on it, eliminating the elements: of agnosticism and doubt.

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