Aptavani-2
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worldly life continues to exist. By being partial, one energizes the
pillars of partiality and divisiveness. You fools! Do you want
liberation or do you want to remain in partiality? Liberation and
taking sides is a contradiction. The Lord himself is impartial and
yet people have become partial. The Jains say, “This is ours, that
is not, that belongs to the Vaishnavs.” The Muslims too say,
“This is ours. This is not, this belongs to the Hindus.” Everyone
in all religions take sides. Here, with the Gnani there is
clarification for people of all religions. Everyone that comes
here, regardless of his or her religious belief, feels no alienation.
They feel as if ‘We’ are talking about their very own religion and
that is because ‘We’ are absolutely impartial. Only here is there
a coming together of all religions.
When people become partial, they move further away
from the Lord within. Not only have people become partial but
they have also created so many different divisions within just one
faith. Even amongst Jains, there are eighty-four different sects
and there are so many factions amongst the Vedantis too. What
is the definition of the Jain dharma? It is when one does not take
sides. What is more, if someone creates divisions, a true Jain
would go to that person to explain things to him in details and
try to overcome any conflict of opinions. The definition of a true
Jain is that even when he is right and the other person is
completely wrong, he would still approach the other person
himself. Many will say to him, “Why do you bother with him
when you are right?” But the one practicing true Jainism will say,
“I am a Jain and that is why I have to approach him.” A Jain
is someone who has no obstinacy about any perspective and
who listens to everyone. He will listen to everyone and will not
allow any viewpoints to cloud his own vision; he remains
focused. He would not resort to deceit, ‘Yours is wrong and
mine is right’. Surely one should listen to that which reaches the
self within, should one not?
Lord Mahavir used to listen even when someone of a