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THE WAY OF LIFE
After, havįng attained the human state of existence, which is difficult to attain, one should try to achieve spiritual progress and elevation. Giving a reason for this, he says that death may come unexpectedly; and it can thus make the human life fruitless as if it never existed.
First of all, he says that the state of human life is difficult to attain. Compared to all the other states of existence in the universe, the human state of existence is the most difficult to attain. Difficulty and easiness are relative concepts. A certain thing is said to be impossible compared to another thing and the same thing is said to be easy compared to some other thing. Therefore, you must treat difficulty and easiness as relative concepts.
THE MISCONCEPTIONS REGARDING DIFFICULTY AND EASE
The Acharyashri says that the human state of existence is difficult to attain compared to the other three states of existence namely the heavenly state, the state of existence in hell and the state of animals and birds. It is easy to be born in hell, to be born as animals and birds and to be born as heavenly beings. It is difficult to attain the human state of existence. There are countless jivas in hell; there are countless jivas in the realm of animals and birds and there are countless jivas in the heavenly world but the number of jivas in the human state of existence can be counted. That state in which a small number of jivas exist is said to be difficult to attain.
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From the Audience : Now-a-days, the population of the world has been tremendously increasing. Has the attainment of the human state of existence become easy ?
Maharajashri : Whatever may be the number of human beings in this universe, it cannot be greater than the number of jivas in hell or in the heavenly world or in the realm of animals and birds. To-day people say, “The number of human beings has been increasing". Even this is a relative statement. The number of human beings in this world is larger than the num
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