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veetaragta or the achievement of equanimity. The question arises as to how one may achieve equanimity in life.
Ans. The nature of Jain religion is tranquillity-equa
- nimity.
The means of achieving it is the purification of leshya. Until leshya is freed from defilement, equanimity is not possible. The achievement of equanimity is the goal of every sadhak. From the point of view of sadhana, it may be recognized as essential. The birth of equanimity in the life of an individual is always for his good. Inner happiness is possible only through it. However, there can be no development of equanimity in the absence of purification of leshya or feelings. Therefore, a sadhak must concentrate all his attention on the purification of feelings.
Q. The essence of equanimity is to keep calm both in
favourable and unfavourable circumstances, and not to be affected by emotional outbursts. According to medical science, the specific sensory glands are a factor in the creation of emotional excitements. If these centres are removed through operation, all provocability ends. If a little surgery can bring about equanimity, why need one undertake a long course of meditation for it?
Ans. To remain unaffected by contradictory ex
- tremes-pleasure and pain, profit and loss, honour and dishonour, praise and dispraise, and life and death—is possible only under two conditions: (1) dissolution of attachment, and (2) the extraction of the specific sensory centres through a surgical operation. The resultants of these two activities appear to be similar, but, as a matter of fact, there is a vast difference between the two. The removal of the sensory centers does lessen excitement, but it does not, cannot, lead to the development of equanimity, or constructive feelings. Drug-treatment or sur
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