Book Title: The Truth
Author(s): O P Jain
Publisher: Veer Nirvan Granth Prakashan Samiti

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Page 59
________________ 50 THE TRUTH correct outwardly, are really false, unless supported by Right Faith. It is well known that many people follow certain virtues without clear objectives or with false objectives i.e., to please the gods to seek worldly favours or to gain supernatural powers etc. The aims being low, the Karma Prakritis are correspondingly of the same type and fulfill such aims and no more. We are thus great losers as with correct aims, we could get the lasting happiness from the same actions. Without faith one always has boubts in his knwoledge and indecision in his conduct. He can even deviate temporarily or permanently for apparent (not real) gains obtainable easily. Such a conduct will not influence the mental states properly to carry out the purposes (stoppage and removal of karmas) for which the conduct was undertaken. There can be no deceiving of one's own mind as the action and reaction are automatic. The conduct without faith can never have enthusiasm or zeal to do it and will appear to be a burden. Conduct with faith will result in joy and will be done with ease. Infact, many people leave spiritual conduct in disgust and call it unnecessarily hard only because they have not acquired the right faith. Without right faith, objectives are not right and we expect to achieve something different than for which the conduct was prescribed. This naturally causes despair and gives a feeling that the conduct was wrong. This is all due to lack of right faith. It is said that even a medicine is not effective to cure a disease if the patient has no faith in the physician's knowledge (or ability). Similarly, if a doctor has no faith in his medical knowledge (is not able to perceive it all together, well co-ordinated and w.thout doubts, as in a mirror), he will not be a successful physician. This is true of all professions. Faith is a sort of belief or conviction in the wisdom of certain ideas. Even important functionaries of state have to take a vow testifying their faith in the constitution. Without this faith, it is feared, they will not be able to function correctly in the spirit of the constitution. Unfortunately faith has now become a matter of legal formality and the results are well known. Right Faith, Right Knowledge and Right Conduct go hand in hand and help each other to grow. Right knowledge is the correct knowledge of seven tattavas as described before. A conduct based on this knowledge for the liberation of soul is the Right Conduct. For a pure spirit, all these three aspects merge into the very nature of soul, because omniscience can have no doubts and hence Right Faith is inherent in it. The natural attributes of a substance are, in a way, its conduct and they will certainly be Right, because anything different Jain Education International For Personal & Private Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

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