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THE TRUTH
be so controlled that tranquility of mind is not disturbed by them and one continues to follow the course of right conduct. These are : hunger, thirst, cold, heat, insect bite, feeling of shame arising from nakedness (necessary for absolute renunciation of attachment to body, worldly objects and from passions. This is, however, necessary only for saints at higher stages of spiritual development), dissatisfaction, sex, fatigue from travelling on foot, continuous sitting in one posture in meditation, sleeping without bed on hard ground, insult, beating, temptation of begging even in great need, disease, thorn pricks, dirt on the body, desire of respect, pride of learning, disgust over lack of knowledge, despair for not getting reward of austerities etc.
The above qualities will certainly harden any person to bear any kind of difficulty or hurdle in the way of following the right conduct. They will help us to control our senses and passions.
5.10.7 (VII) Charitra (conduct) : It consists of equanimity, pure and absolute non-injury, freedom from passions.
5.11 Nirjara : It means shedding away of karmic matter from the soul. If the karmas shed themselves after full duration, it is not only a long process, but usually gives rise to fresh karmas. We have, therefore, to make deliberate efforts to hasten the shedding of karma. This can be done by means of karmas of opposite nature, when they neutralise the effect of each other, or by the practice of austerities i. e., by complete subjugation of passions, impulses and desires, when it becomes difficult for the karmic matter to remain bonded with the soul. It will thus appear that the means of samvara as described above, are also the means of Nirjara. ..
First of all, the four karmas, Inanavaraniya, Darshandaraniya, Mohaniya and Antaraya, also called ghatia karmas because they obstruct the attributes of soul, are destroyed and the soul attains omniscience. Then the other four karmas, Ayu, Nama, Gotra and Vedaniya, are destroyed and the soul become pure-exhibiting all its natural divine characteristics, never to be combined with matter again. This is called “liberation' or Moksha.
It will thus be seen that the drama of life is enacted with the help of matter and consists of a sequence of causes and effects. With right faith, right knowledge and right conduct, it can be moulded by the soul to its advantage i. e., liberation. There is no place to dogma, mystery or any super-natural power in this process.
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