Sannyasa Dharma

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

Page 95

Sannyasa DHARMA
These are the many kinds of protections and refuges for living beings. But none of them can protect the soul against its real enemies-birth, disease, old age, death, sorrow, poverty, mental disquietude and the like. Just as no one can release a young antelope from the powerful jaws of a hungry lion, in the same way, no one, whether patron, protector or friend, can rescue a living being from misfortune and mishap ! Even the fondly-nourished body which is regarded as one's own, is utterly helpless to defend one against calamity ; it does not even accompany one beyond the grave; nay, it is even the greatest source of affliction itself. Friends and wealth,--do they count ? By no means! They cannot avert anything like a real catastrophe! Otherwise the wealthy and the man of many friends will never age nor die. When the Tirthamkaras cannot give protection to a man in the agony of death, who else can ? Yet Their noble
Teaching is really helpful to him who will shape his life accordingly. Some day, --comparatively speaking, very very soon-he will become strong enough to stand up against his lower nature, and, conquering it, defy death itself! There is no other protection or protector in this vast world. Thus thinking, will a man be saved from weakening emotions, and, knowing his true nature, proceed to work off his kurmas, saving himself from all false and deluding hopes and aspirations. The effect of this an uprehskā is the strengthening of the feeling of detachment from the body, which is a great gain,
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