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THE SACRED BOOKS OF THE JAINAS.
blessings. Being unable to root them out, they are obliged to take
the temporary medicine of enjoying sense-objects. They do not believe even such gratification to be the true medicine, because they rightly know that no one can annihilate the desire for sense-object even by enjoying them. They know that, on the other hand, the gratification of desire further increases the desire itself. Cessation of desire will come about only on subsidence of passion Karmas ; and their subsidence can only be effected by constant practice of self-realisation. Even Tirthankaras who possessed pure and destructive right belief from birth, and were fully cognizant of the uselessness of sense-enjoy ments could not renounce them before long, and led a householder's life, because their passion-Karmas were not subsided. When the passion Karmas were subsided they renounced their kingdoms and became possessionless ascetics. Right believing householders are called desireless because their inner motive is not sense-gratification, but self-absorption and liberation. Those who are wrong believers can not havet knowledge. Their life-motto is sense gratification. They d recognize true and independent happiness. Their piety and austerity also are based upon sense-craving only. They love merits by which they may attain agreeable sense pleasures in celestial or human life. They may be good saints or lay men, but they are wrong knowers in the light of Truth; while these who have discarded this perverse belief whether they may be saints or laymen are right knowers. They are really desireless. They have no erroneous thoughts, because they are free from the effects of errorfeeding passions. Thus self-knowledge is necessary to make one unattached to all present and future sense enjoyments.
णाणी रागप्पजहो सव्वव्वेसु कम्ममझगदो। णो लिप्पदि कम्मरएण दु कदममझे जहा कणयं ॥२२६॥ ज्ञानी रागप्रहायः सर्वद्रव्येषु कर्ममध्यगतः। नो लिप्यते कर्मरजसा तु कर्दममध्ये यथा कनकं ॥ २२६ ॥
229. The knower who has renounced attachment to all objects even when situated in the midst of Karmas is not soiled by the dirt of Karma, like gold in the midst of mire.
अण्णाणी पुण रत्तो सव्वदव्वेसु कम्ममझगदो। लिप्पदि कम्मरएण दु कदममझे जहा लोहं ॥ २३०॥
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