Spiritual Enlightenment

Author(s): Yogindu Deva, A N Upadhye
Publisher: Radiant Publishers

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Spiritual Enlightenment
will not rescue anyone. A man studying the scriptures may still remain dull, if his doubts are not cleared, as long as he has not realized pure Paramatman residing in the body. Scriptures are studied for self-enlightenment; and if one has not attained that highest knowledge thereby, is he not a fool? A tour to holy places will not rescue anyone from Samsara, if he is devoid of Atmajnana. (79-85)
There is a vast difference between foolish and wise saints: the wise forsake the body realizing the soul to be independent thereof, while the foolish wish to possess the whole world with the pretext of practising various virtues. The foolish take pleasure in their pupils—male and female—and in books; but the wise are ashamed of these knowing them to be the cause of bondage. Mat, board (or garment), bowl and male and female disciples attract a monk and carry him astray. It is a self-deception, if a saint wearing the emblem of great Jinas pulls out his hair with ashes but does not give up attachment for paraphernalia. To receive desired paraphernalia even after being a monk (with Jina-linga) is to swallow back the vomit. Those monks who give up the pursuit of liberation for the sake of worldly profit and fame, are burning a temple in fact for a nail. The monk who considers himself great because of his possessions never realizes the reality. To those who have realized reality no one is great or small: all souls are the great Brahman. The devotee of three jewels makes no distinction between souls and souls, whatever bodies they might be occupying. The souls in the three worlds are mutually distinguished by the ignorant, but in omniscience they are of one type. All the souls have knowledge as their essence; they are free from birth and death; they are alike with regard to their spatial extent; and they are similar with regard to their characteristics. Darshan and Jnana are their essential attributes: if the mind is enlightened, no distinction should be made between various souls. Those that make no distinction between the (potential) Brahmans in this world realize the pure light of Paramatman. By leaving attachment and aversion and (consequently) being established in equanimity (sama-bhava)