Aptavani-4 Aptavani-4 | Page 20

realized; bhranti), all human beings have continual intent-based self-effort (bhaav purusharth), on account of which the bonds of karma for the next life are created; moreover, they themselves are not even aware of this! [4] Shraddha (Faith) Those who make a mockery of blind faith (andha- shraddha) do not know how much blind faith they themselves have! On what faith is the act of drinking water done? What proof is there that there is no poison in it? What is the proof that an insect or a tiny lizard has not fallen in the food? Does anyone inquire about this? Are people not moving on, with blind faith? Thus, not a single step is taken without blind faith, so how can one criticize anyone else’s blind faith? [5] Opinion Vision (drashti) is created on the basis of opinions (abhipraya), and then one ‘sees’ according to that vision. It is not the fault of the vision if one feels uneasy with a certain person. The mistake is being made by the opinion that has led to such a vision (drashti). The vision with “prejudice” creates the worldly life (the perpetual cycle of birth and death). In spite of being an eyewitness to a theft, the one who does not have any prejudice in vision is a Gnani (the enlightened One). What proof is there that tomorrow the thief will not become honest and respectable? There is nothing to object to. If the senses relish a tasty mango, but afterward if the memory of it lingers on; it is detrimental, because behind the memory there is the opinion that “this mango is good,” and that opinion will result in attachment- abhorrence (raag-dwesh). 19