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After one has accepted self-discipline as a way of life, every moment should be a moment of awareness. If every movement is temperate, one's whole life is permeated with self-discipline. Otherwise one never acquires proper self-control. Similarly, if, one does dhyana sadhana for an hour or two, and spends the rest of the time fidgeting about, one can never truly accomplish meditation. If the mind is not wholly given to meditation, energy thereof cannot be transmitted to everyday conduct. When the entire routine of life becomes yoga, only then does awareness suffuse one's conduct. Thus, it may be concluded that close proximity to the guru for a short period brings proportionate results, but the impact of long-term proximity is stupendous. For one aspiring to enter the higher stages of dhyana, to overlook the importance of constant proximity to the guru cannot be beneficial.
Jain Education International
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