Pratikraman: Freedom Through Apology & Repentance (Abr.) (In English) Pratikraman: Freedom Through Apology & Repentence | Page 10

PREFACE
Should there not be some unfailing remedy for those who
are sincerely trying to move forward along the path of liberation?
There must be some remedy to successfully remove all kashays
(internal anger, pride, greed, attachment, and abhorrence) that
hinder people every moment of their lives. How is one to
remove the gross and subtle conflict from his life? How do we
prevent ourselves from being hurt or hurting others? How can
we shelter ourselves from the kashays that bombard us? How
do we stop them from recurring?
Many of us have faithfully adhered to religious rituals. We
have surrendered ourselves to strict penance, fasting, meditation,
and other such austerities, only to discover that we still make
mistakes through our minds, our speech, and our conduct. Why
have we not found internal peace? What should we do when
we realize our faults and how should we get rid of them? There
should be some method through which we can eliminate kashays
from our lives, and progress spiritually toward liberation. Surely
there must be a way to live happily with peace and love. What
spiritual knowledge have the Vitarag Lords (the supreme
enlightened beings) bestowed upon the world? What is true
religion? Is there any assurance that one can be absolved for
the sins he commits? And if there is such a method, why is it
not evident?
One can attain an abundance of knowledge from
scriptures, but why can he not incorporate it into his daily life.
Ascetics and spiritual teachers continue to preach, but where
do they fall short in getting the desired results? Practically every
religion mandates stringent rituals and austerities, yet why does
the aspirant not achieve any results? Why do his kashays not
decrease or his sins erase? Doesn’t the liability for all this fall
upon the heads of religion? This statement is not made with any
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