________________
DISCOURSE 13
221
theatre. If man sees countless things in the outer world, he also thinks of them externally. If he looks into his inner self that world also is a boundless universe containing countless things. There is heaven as well as hell within.
IT IS NECESSARY TO PURIFY THE HEART
In order to look into yourself, you must close your physical eyes. You must turn a deaf ear to the outward noises. Until you close your external eyes, your internal eyes do not open. With your internal eyes, you must see the internal world that lies within you. What are the various thoughts and feelings that abound in that internal world ? Countless wicked thoughts and sinful emotions of countless previous lives have gathered in the soul that is bound by Karmas. Those wicked and sinful thoughts and feelings do not allow our activities to be righteous and in accordance with dharma. Why is it that even the outer form of your actions is not religious ?
It is absolutely necessary to purify and chasten the heart which has been sullied hy inauspicious and impure thoughts and feelings. Have you ever experienced this necessity ?
From the Audience: We have been experiencing it but we feel that it is impossible to do that.
Maharajashri : It is wrong to think that something is impossible without making all possible efforts to do it. If you feel that something is absolutely necessary then you will surely make all possible efforts to achieve it. Have you made any attempts to keep off inauspicious thoughts? Do inauspicious and impure thoughts pierce you like thorns ? No. You feel that they are sweet, like sugar. Don't you feel that they are sweet. Foul thoughts taste sweet. When that is so how would you make an effort to discard those foul thoughts? Please look into yourselves and if you do so, you will surely begin pondering over what you see there.
Remember that dharma is purity of the mind and the purity of the soul. The same Acharyadev in his grantha, Shodashak
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org