Page 28 - Faith Personified

times in previous births but without any aim of non-
attachment, resistance over temptations or salvation. Even
while practicing monkhood, his sole aim was to attain more
and more material luxuries and comforts. Then, how can his
so-called noble conduct generate good thought?

The same applies for gaining knowledge. You are supposed
to study with the intention of suppressing your anger, lust,
greed and pride. But if you gain deep knowledge of religious
scriptures only with the intention of achieving fame and

appreciation, how will such knowledge generate noble
thoughts and purify your heart? Such knowledge will not
lead to your soul’s progress; instead it will drown you further
in the vast ocean of birth and death.

Even celibacy should be practiced with the intention of
developing hatred and dislike towards sexual relations and

not to ensure good health in the long run or to reserve your
place amidst reputed people. Such a deceptive act of celibacy
cannot give the desired result even after a couple of decades
of practicing it. Instead those who are not capable of practicing
complete celibacy but try to develop dislike for such relations
by constantly distracting the brain by reading good books
and listening to religious discourses will surely move ahead

and overcome their sexual desires some day.

Coming back to the point, good activities inspire good
thoughts only when negative counter-thoughts have not
enveloped the mind and there is a desire to generate and

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