Sannyasa Dharma

Author(s): Champat Rai Jain
Publisher: Champat Rai Jain

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SANNYASA DHARMA
his hard-earned merit so easily. He will, on the con. trary, defend his valuable possession with his life, if need be, sacrificing it rather than lose his treasure of virtue !
II. EXCELLENT MREKNESS.-Not to be elated with pride, even justly, for noble birth, illustrious descent, kingship or authority, matchless beauty, high proficiency in sciences and arts, unexcelled knowledge of the Scriptures, merit of recitation, severe austerities, enviable fortune, unrivalled power, and the like, is termed mārdava, also known as māna nirharana (the crushing out of self-conceit). The man endowed with meekness is the beloved of preceptors, and is regarded as an excellent From meekness results the person even by saints. acquisition of true discrimination, Right Knowledge and the like, which are the causes of moksha. The saint who practises meekness thus speedily attains to the delights of heavenly life, and, finally also to nirvana. Contrary to this, the heart that is defiled by self-conceit can never become the abiding place of goodness or any other virtue; it is discarded by saints, In a word, most of the troubles that humanity is subject to arise from pride. For this reason meekness should be cultivated as a virtue.
III. EXCELLENT STRAIGHT-FORWARDNESS. Keeping the three channels of action, namely, the mind, speech and the body, in an attitude of straight-forwardness, that is to say, refraining from their employment for deceiving any one, is termed excellent ärjava. Many
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