Aptavani-4 Aptavani-4 | Page 33

As a consequence, a person loses his mental stability, to the extent that he becomes reliant on sleeping pills. Where there is not the slightest vestige of pain; there is the Self (the Soul). With wrong vision (viparit darshan) there is pain: with the right vision (samyak darshan) there is bliss, bliss, and nothing but bliss! Complete surrender under the Gnani’s protection is the vehicle for moksha; however, for the worldly happiness one should serve one’s parents and one’s guru. In people’s understanding, happiness lies in loksangnya (related to other peoples’ beliefs). In the Gnani’s understanding, happiness lies in the Atma. Saints (santo) take pleasure in pain whereas the ‘Gnani’ takes pleasure in the Self. Saints proceed believing pain as pleasure. To derive pleasure from the body (pudgal; non-Self complex) is a ‘borrowed’ transaction that you will have to ‘repay’. When the son jumps onto his lap saying, “Daddy…daddy,” the father enjoys ‘borrowed’ pleasure. But when the same son grows up and says, “Dad, you have no sense!” the time has come for that borrowed pleasure to be ‘repaid’! So why not be cautious from the very start? The pudgal is itself vitarag (without attachments and abhorrence) but when the ‘self’ (relative self) acquires, the transaction of borrowing begins! [14] The True Understanding of Religion The traditional worldly (laukik) religions give worldly happiness and the real (alaukik; beyond the world) religion gives eternal bliss. All actions carried out in the presence of 32