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THE WAY OF LIFE
SILENCE AND CONCENTRATION ESSENTIAL
Maharajashri : You are right. But if they cannot hear the discourse from that distance they can quietly go out. If they keep talking they disturb others also. This is the Jinavani (the utterance of the Jin). These are the sublime words of the Jineshwar Bhagwan. Unless you hear them properly, you cannot understand them. If you hear them carelessly you may misunderstand them. You must realise the point of view from which a statement is made. You can understand it only when you listen to it with concentration and a calm mind.
You must contemplate deeply on what you hear. The Jinagamas can be understood clearly only by means of deep contemplation. You must have a firm faith in the Jinagamas and in the Dharmagranthas written by omniscient authors. You must have application to hear the Jinagamas. You should not experience sorrow or excitement while listening to them. Nowa-days, a majority of people do not have a taste for a knowledge of the tatvas because they are not prepared to put forth the endeavour necessary for the purpose. "We have no interest in these doctrines. We gain nothing from them. We forget them”. People say such things.
If you develop love for the utterances of the Jin, you will not say such things. You will keep listening with concentration. Not only listening to them, you would also endeavour to practise such principles as are within your reach. Then, your activity of listening to discourses will exercise a deep impact on your life. You must listen to discourses with the purpose of achieving spiritual purification. As you go on listening to discourses, the activities of your life also gradually become cleansed and ennobled. Your dealings with others will be cordial. You will be able to exercise restraint on your habits of eating and drinking. You will begin using discretion in your activities of reading, hearing and seeing. You will practise those principles which are necessary to increase and maintain your physical and mental strength.
If you cannot practise some principles, at present, you will
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