Book Title: Way of Life Part 2
Author(s): Bhadraguptasuri
Publisher: Vishvakalyan Prakashan Trust Mehsana

View full book text
Previous | Next

Page 336
________________ 324 THE WAY OF LIFE WHO IS AN ENEMY ? IS IT HE WHO DOES SOMETHING UNPLEASANT ? Do you know who render your thoughts and conduct impure, profane and uncultured ? It is absolutely necessary to know from which sources impurities arise and originate. Those principles that render our thoughts and conduct impure and ignoble are our enemies. Those that cause a loss to us; those that do things that are unpleasant to us; those that plunder our wealth and those that cause our total destruction are our enemies. Who are our enemies ? Lust, anger, avarice, pride, arrogance, jealousy - these are our enemies, that are deep-rooted in us. These enemies are in complete possession of our senses and are exercising their authority over them. They abide in our minds. With the mind as their head-quarters, they exercise their authority and control over the whole body. The soul that is the real master of the body and the mind is dormant and unconscious, and I have to awaken that unconscious and dormant jiva. Its unconsciousness has to be removed. Only then can it hear what is said. Only when it hears, can it understand. Only when it understands the situation, will it think of fighting against its inner enemies and only then the fight will begin. Is it not so ? From the Audience: We are awake and conscious. If we were not so, how could we come to listen to you? Maharajashri : This is only moving about. Even a jiva which is under the influence of the inner enemies like lust and anger believes that it is awake and conscious. Such people come to religious places als, but what is the use of merely visiting these places? Those who come here, being under the influence of the inner enemies like lust and anger, do not come here to listen. They sit before me but they keep looking at women. ONE SHAMEFUL BUT REAL STORY We were spending our Chaturmas in a large city in Rajasthan. A young man who was studying in the fourth year, in the college used to come every day to hear discourses. He also used to come to have a darshan. Some members of the society Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

Loading...

Page Navigation
1 ... 334 335 336 337 338 339 340 341 342 343 344 345 346 347 348 349 350 351 352 353 354 355 356 357 358 359 360 361 362