________________
The Self Realization
friend of his, under the caption 'My thoughts on woman', that unqualified and unrestricted happiness lies in pure knowledge of the Self and never in the worldly enjoyments of married life. Bodily happines is only a shadow of the real happiness. Besides enjoyments of the body are only shortlived and the sources of consequent misery, disease and death. It is painfully surprising to find the human mind enjoying in worldly and physical pleasures. One should pray for the complete freedom from all desires concerning the bodily and sense-pleasures. Regarding one's wife, Srimad writes : “My desire is for liberation but forced by the fruits of the actions of my previous birth I lead a married life. But here too | normally maintain equanimity, neither attachment nor non-attachment. I feel pained to find sometimes my behaviour contrary to my intense desire for liberation.' To a friend, he writes about his married life in Vikram Samvat 1946 or 1890 A. D., “I have married earlier than you by a little over two years. Within these two years I have come to know my wife's mind and I can say that none of us is dissatisfied with the other. Nor can I say that it is absolutely satisfactory. Our relations are common and normal. And this is more due to my indifference. While thinking of high metaphysical thoughts I get strong suggestions for renouncing the householder's order. I had similar thoughts even before my marriage but I had to pacify them as I found that following them would make the very continuence of my life impossible."
In lesson No. 12 Best Householder', lesson No. 45 Common Aspiration', lesson No. 55 “Rules of Daily Observance by the Householder and in the six lessons Nos. 61 to 66 in Mokshamala - a rosary of liberation under the title 'Thoughts on Happiness' he gives his views on the ideal householder's life. He writes,
Jain Education (3) rnational
33 For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
