Aptavani-2 461
absolutely pure; they have no need or desires for anything. There is no deceit or attachment whatsoever.
To whom do desires belong?
Actually no being has desires. The Self does not have desires; really speaking, an illusion has arisen. Jain religion has claimed that the Self has desires. Indeed, if the Self were to have desires, it would be considered a beggar. The Self never wishes. It is supreme; how can it have wishes? It is vitarag to begin with. Desires stem from illusion. There will be no desire when there is no ego. The desire is of the ego; can desires ever be of the Self? If the Self did have desires, there would be no difference between it and a vagabond. The Self is the Supreme Self; it is parmatma and it has no need for anything; it never had and never will. But one( the worldly self) has met with an obstacle( antaray). If the ego were to leave, if it were to get dissolved, there would be nothing and there would be liberation. Today the Jains and other religions do claim that the Self has desires. How can it be the Self if it has desires? If one says that the Self has desires, then he has not understood the eternal element of the Self. It means that he does not even know the difference between gold and brass; he is referring to brass as gold. Gold has its own physical properties and remains within its own properties. The Self is parmatmaswarup i. e. it is in its natural attribute. It never leaves its supreme state. It has never left its natural attribute even having come into worldly entanglements. Its knowledge has been veiled, but nothing else. Its knowledge and vision( gnan and darshan respectively) have been veiled, but this has no deleterious effect on the Self. Suffering is for the one who has ego. What harm can come to the Self? It is an abode of eternal bliss. Even a mad person is happy while asleep. He experiences a hint of the Self within even if he sleeps soundly. He will think,‘ There is happiness within me. I have not thought about any sensual pleasures nor have I enjoyed any sensual pleasures while I was asleep. Even though I was fast asleep,