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DISCOURSE 58
137
Question : In that case, should we not agree to be trustees of the dharmashalas situated in holy places.
Maharajashri: You can be trustees of such dharmashalas only if you have the capacity to safeguard the sanctity of those places. But if you become a trustee to become famous, to secure honour or to secure some special conveniences and facilities, you will be courting spiritual ruin. You will only earn countless sins. Those who make arrangements for the convenience of pilgrims must be extremely careful and vigilant. You must go there off and on and inspect and know the situation and the conditions prevailing. You must inspect the questionable activities of the people who are engaged to run the Dharmashalas. You must make strict arrangements and see that no sinful activities go on in those places.
MAINTAIN THE SANCTITY OF SACRED PLACES
From the Audience: If we adopt such measures, the pilgrims will quarrel with the managers and other officials in charge of the dharmashalas.
Maharajashri : Let them quarrel. We do not want pilgrims who commit sinful actions, to stay in our dharmashalas. They are not really pilgrims. They are vagabonds who wander aimlessly. If they commit those ignoble actions in their houses or in their own places, they will get a bad name; so they carry on their ignoble activities in sacred places. Such people should be turned out of the dharmashalas or they should be handed over to the police if they are caught red-handed while they are gambling or drinking. If such stern discipline is not maintained in Dharmashalas, the sanctity of the sacred places will be lost. The pilgrim-centres will not be places where pilgrims can plunge in holy rivers; worship the Paramatma and cross the ocean of Samsar; but places where people dive into the ocean of spiritual ruin.
In one holy place, we personally noticed that even the staff in charge of the dharmashala drank; and ate meat. The manager was not a Jain. There was no trustee available there. To whom
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