Page 69 - Courage Redifined

unchangeable. If it is so, then no one can exercise religion
and attain its good fruits. Because each individual has a
sinful mind and is surrounded by sins before acquiring
a religious outlook. Now if the previous sins were an
outcome of Nikachit (unchangeable) Papanubandhi
Punya then, the sinful mind would never improve and
religion would never enter in his life. But infinite souls
have overcome their sinful mind, attained a religious
outlook and acquired salvation. This proves that, there
are many such Anikachit (changeable) Papanubandhi
Punya which change on getting a suitable factor and
appropriate efforts.

1) Suitable factors can change a sinful mind :

A sinful mind is active during routine life but if you happen
to visit a holy pilgrimage place its intensity decreases.
Gautam Indrabhuti Brahmin was fuming in rage against Lord
Mahavira. This was a sinful mind. But no sooner did he see
Lord’s Samavasaran, heard his name from Lord’s mouth and
heard the answer of his doubt, his ego and anger subsided.
Now, comparethis to the act of listening to a Vyakhyan
(religious discourse). Before listening to the Vyakhyan, the
mind and body is constantly engaged in sins but after listening
to the sermon, the sinful mind becomes inactive. The intensity
of sins decreases greatly.
The sight of a pure ascetic life also leads to decrease in the
intensity of sins:

An opponent sent murderers to kill a Saint. Till they reached
the innocent saint sleeping in moonlight, their mind had just
one thought, “We will kill him with this knife.” Such a cruel
sinful thought! In the meanwhile, while they were standing
there, the saint changed sides in his sleep. Before doing so, he
picked up his Rajoharan lying by the side and did Pramarjana
Keep the Mind Undisturbed... 59