Spiritual Awakening and other Essays

Author(s): Kamalchand Sogani
Publisher: Prakrit Bharti Academy

Page 14

contrariwise, it is suicidal. The initial skepticism may lead to final certitude. Where logic can streatch its wings one should pin one's faith on a thing after following the course of rational thinking, so that dogmatism may not creep in. Because of spiritual awakening the possessor of this Anga, eschews the seven kinds of fear* which are ordinarily present in the perverted souls. (1) He is not frightened when the things imparting him physical and mental pleasures part company and when the sorrows and the agonies shake hand. (2) Nor is he perturbed by the fearful thought concerning the life hereafter. Besides, (3 to 7) he has ousted the fear of death, of discomfiture arising from disease, of his safety and lastly of losing his affluence or self-restraint.
Secondly, the Niḥkāňkṣita Anga implies that the true believer (spiritually awakened) never hankers after the worldly opulence and empyreal pleasures, inasmuch as he is convinced of the fact that these earthly enjoyments are impermanent, fraught with miseries, procreative of sin and evil and are caused by the filth of Karman.
Thirdly, the Anga known as Nirvicikitsā signifies that there should not be a feeling of disgust at the various bodily conditions caused by disease, hunger, thirst, cold, heat etc., or at the sight of foul excretion. The body is impure by nature but is rendered venerable by the triple jewels or right belief, right knowledge and right conduct. The Nirvicikitsā Anga, consists in declining the scornful attitude towards the body even if it is diseased, unclean'' etc.
Fourthly, the Amūdhadssti Anga (non-stupidity) consists in steering clear of the causes of perversity and in dissociating oneself from the person pursuing wrong path." According to Svāmikārtikeya he who does not recognize Hiṁsā as Dharma, being overwhelmed by fear, inferiority and greed for profit, is free from stupidity. 12
Spiritual Awakening (Samyagdarśana) and Other Essays