Page 143 - Courage Redifined

even at holy pilgrimage places. Where is the religion and
duties of shravakas ? People understand that a real shravaka
will not eat at night, but if the shravaka loses his self-control,
then even the regret of eating at night is not there. Isn’t this
really disgraceful ?

So much slavery even after attaining such a noble birth!
Imagine the slavery in other low births!

As a Jain, one should avoid doing Ratribhojana at home
except for adjustments in accordance with one’s job timings.
Ratribhojana at public ceremonies should obviously be
avoided. But the slavery of this crazy tongue does not let
us follow this also. The consumption of abhakashya food
(inedible items) also does not pinch us. Can we consume
moong dal or chana dal with shrikhand ? No, the union of
pulses and dal with milk or buttermilk which are not heated
leads to ‘Dvidal’. The slavery of our senses does not make
us strong enough to avoid these abhakshya items also. Isn’t
this our misery ?

Q. : There are sins in such small activities also. Then what
about the greater sins prevailing in society like injustice,
cheating, bribery etc. that happen during day to day life ?
A. : One should understand that the intentional violation of
the basic fundamentals of Jainism is not a small sin but
a great one because the heart becomes tough due to
ignorance of such sins. Once the heart becomes tough
towards such sins, it is bound to become tough and
ignorant towards other sins also. Thus, the intentional
violation of the basic fundamentals of Jainism leads
to it’s ignorance which inturn invites other sins, too.
Not only this, it also creates disrespect towards the
Lord’s teachings which depict these acts as sins. Thus,
it eventually leads to Mithyatva. So, where did these so
called small sins lead one towards ?
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