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292
The Unknown Pilgrims
The atman makes and unmakes its (own) pleasures and sorrows, the atman (is) its [own] friend as regards its good deeds, the ātman (is) its (own) enemy as regards its evil deeds.30
The connection between these two verses is, moreover, clear: Vaitarani, the river of caustic acid and Sälmali, the thorny tree, are associated with hell, while the cow Kāmadughā who fulfils all desires and Nandanavana, the Forest of Joy are associated with pleasure. It is the ātman, the originator of deeds good and bad, who travels the path leading to hell or to the happiness of the divine beings.
This passage reflects accurately the type of teaching often given by the sadhvis to the śråvakas and śrāvikås ensnared in the trap of worldly activities, worldly possessions and riches of all sorts. There is a need for concrete admonitions, to avoid missing the mark by aiming too high. Mokșa and nirvāṇa together constitute the ultimate goal of the atman; let us therefore, begin by knowing the ātman in our own deeds, by exarıining them carefully, in the knowledge that in the near future our Ei emy or our Friend will carry us off to hell or to the gods, both states being, moreover, transitory, but likely to be of fairly long duration!
We cannot refrain from quoting once again Ācārya Kundakunda whose Samayasāra is a study of the atman and comprises both a vision of and knowe!dge of the atman continuous praise to the atman, in short, an experience of the atman:
Concerning one who does penance and who makes vows but is not centred upon the Supreme Reality, those who know all things say that such penitence and such vows (are those) of a child.31
afore-named pass their time in enjoyable pursuits; 4 temples dedicated to the jinas; and, beyond the temples, certain goddesses; cf. JSK III, pp. 466-467; P 674 ff.
30 appā kattā vikatta ya dukkhåņa ya suhāņa ya
appå mittamamittaṁ ca duppatthiya supatthio. US XX, 37.
31 paramatthammiya athido jo kunadi tavam vadam ca dhārayadi
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