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DISCOURSE 11
Let alone being honoured and adored by Devendra and heavenly beings; let alone being honoured by men of established reputation, we feel proud even when very ordinary people on the road merely salute us. Your chest widens with pride when even ordinary people salute you. "I am also somebody. I am an important man." That is what you feel. Even if you do not have any knowledge of profound and serious things and even if you have only very ordinary knowledge you feel impelled to exhibit your knowledge. Is that not so? You would say, "I am an enlightened man. I do not need to learn anything." But the Lord was never proud though he was all-knowing and all-seeing.
While worshipping the Paramatma, it is absolutely necessary that we should contemplate on his states. We should forget ourselves for a while and become completely absorbed in a contemplation of the Paramatma's corporeal existence in this world.
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THE PRINCELY STATE
The second one is the Rajyavastha or the princely state. The souls that are to become Thirtankars are born in royal families. It is natural that such sublime souls should be born in royal families. A Thirtankar has to be born in this world and has to achieve a lofty mission. He has to show the way of supreme peace to the human beings, the heavenly beings and the brute-creation in this universe. If anyone wants to accomplish something unique and extraordinary, he requires convenient circumstances and convenient devices. Only then will he be able to accomplish the great task. He who becomes the Rashtrapathi goes to reside in the Rashtrapathi Bhawan. He cannot live in a small house and carry out his administrative activities. When a person is born in a royal family, he gets those conveniences and circumstances naturally.
THE PRACTICE AND ADORATION OF RENUNCIATION
Another vital point is this. Though the soul of a Thirtankar is born in a royal family he does not desire to sit on the throne and he does not have any pride in being a prince because he is
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