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Before commencing diligent and focused efforts for spiritual enhancement, purify your perspective. Define the purpose of your soul. Ensure that your mind is still. Make sure that your conviction is rock steady and not wavering. Dharma can only remain in a pure heart.
When you wish to dye a cloth, you need to wash it first else the new colour shall not appear uniformly. Similarly, purify your heart before you commence on the journey of self-purification. This may be done by washing it with the soap of samyaktva.
seem bitter. Until
helief shall not appen interest in it. He
In conclusion it may be stated that if the soul is properly cleansed, it is naturally inclined towards non-violence, truth and other religio-spiritual practices. To one suffering from fever, even a sweet drink shall seem bitter. Until his fever goes away, he loses all interest in food. Similarly, one who is suffering from the fever of false belief shall not appreciate the sweet drink of religious discourse, philosophy, etc. He shall pronounce it bitter and take no interest in it. He shall have absolutely no interest in the food of spirituality. When the fever of false belief shall subside upon taking the medicine of samyaktva, the seeker shall feel great interest in philosophy, religious teachings, religious doctrine and the true nature of the soul. The very presence of samyaktva ensures that flaws like fear, temptation, arrogance, pretentiousness, etc. do not raise their ugly heads. The focused and diligent efforts of one who has samyaktva are pure and are free from karmic bondage-causing dispositions. Such efforts are called enlightened efforts. Hence, samyaktva is the foundation of blemishless spiritual practice.
Samyaktva is the basic controller of spiritual strength
There are two types of power in this world: 1. Bhautika Shakti {temporal power} 2. Adhyaatmika Shakti {spiritual power}
Bhautika Shakti {temporal power works in the external world. They help develop the external world, help the attainment of sensual pleasure. But equally, they can cause despair, trouble and disaster. Today, many powerful nations in the world, on the strength of their colossal temporal powers, are bullying weaker nations and causing war and strife. They try to annex small nations to their own nation to further increase their own strength. Hence, spiritual power must serve as a control over the rampant abuse of worldly power. Numerous superpowers have come and gone. They used their power to spread terror and mayhem. Since they had no spiritual inclination, they spread violence and destruction.
Ravana and Brahmadatta Chakravarti were extremely brave and resourceful rulers. They were defeated by worldly forces. They were annihilated. This is why it is essential that worldly power is controlled by spiritual power. Else, it is easy to become infatuated and become its slave. But if it is mitigated by spirituality, the seeker is able to realise the insubstantial nature and possessions and can become detached to them.
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