Thursday, September 3, 2009

Uttam Tyaga

We believe this little effort on our side of bringing you these lectures has been of some use and interest to you. Today we share with you the article on Uttam Tyaga based on pravachans of Munishri Kshamasagarji as captured in the text titled Guruvaani.

You may listen the audio clip of the orignial pravachan at youtube.

"Uttam Tyaga" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zKT90_u4Do

UTTAMA TYAGA (SUPREME RENUNCIATION)

· To give up on wicked/ iniquitous qualities and practices, to resolve not to embrace them is known as Tyaga (renunciation/ sacrifice).

· Limiting and regulating one’s possessions is known as Daan (charity). If the donor considers the recipient superior to himself then only Tyaga Dharma is fulfilled.

Any festival, any occasion or for that matter our life is worthwhile only when we keep adding virtues and in the process also get rid of our wickedness/ iniquities. Our qualities, our experience shall gradually grow with our life. To resolve on giving up wicked qualities is called as Tyaga (renunciation).

Renouncing what you have achieved/ acquired is generally what we understand by Tyaga. But Acharyas say that “giving up” may lead to a feeling of arrogance/ pride. Because it leaves one with a feeling “I have renounced this.” Supreme renunciation is in not acquiring at all. But till the time we become perfect in Tyaga dharma, it is prudent and wise to renounce what we have and what we receive as the starting point.

If we are not able to renounce our possessions then we can at least control them (regularize them). Charity done with humbleness is true Renunciation (Tyaga)

When we give to others we can give with an altruistic feeling or to humiliate the other person –in the latter case it is called Tamasik daan. If we give to others with a feeling of getting something in return then it is an investment not Daan (donation). Such a donation would not be renunciation (tyaga). If we do it to further our fame or out in arrogance then it is called Rajasik Daan and it would not be make any registry under under Tyaga Dharma.

When we give with humbleness and have the feeling that I am thankful you accepted something I could offer then we can say we are following the path of renunciation (Tyaga). Vinoba Bhave wrote – “If nobody got hungry then we couldn’t host/ serve anyone. Thankfully you felt hungry & we got a chance to host you, serve you.” The way we give aahar daan to Munis with all respect & humility, is the tradition we must follow. Actually real Tyaga is one in which we feel delighted after giving.

It appears as if the one who never gives shall remain full and would retain while the one who keeps on giving would be emptied. But in reality we see that one who only receives & doesn’t give, ends up being a victim of his receivables. Just like a river that keeps giving (off loading) its water to Seas is hardly ever emptied, but a pond that only receives water & tries to restrict it to itself dries down as soon as summers come.

A Balance between Receiving & Renunciation

First thing to remember is - For best charity/ donation Acharyas tell that we should spend fifty percent of our income on ourselves, twenty five percent for donations & save the rest twenty five percent for our future. Next best is twenty percent for charity & third is ten percent for charity.

We must spend only as much for our consumption/ enjoyment that ample is being saved as Punya (virtue). Punya does not accrue due to consumption, it accrues due to renunciation.

Receive, don’t infringe/ encroach other’s Right

Secondly - Enjoy or receive a thing so that you don’t infringe other’s rights. Acharya Gunabhadra said – if a river is deluged (flooded) in rainy season then it’s always muddy water only. Similarly is someone has amassed too much of wealth then it must be due to corrupt means only.

We should make sure our consumption doesn’t infringe other’s right. For example if there are four members in a house. Let’s assume we bring 250 gm of peas for lunch. After pealing & cleaning let’s say we are left with 200 gm of peas. How much would be the share per person – fifty gm each. The real test is whether we keep this in mind while eating. Otherwise many times we forget about the mother or think that the person who cooks is supposed to give only. Make sure this doesn’t happen. All we have to do is to remember that there are four people and peas are for all four. Don’t let mother feel as if we are leaving your share to you, as if we are doing a favor.

Third point to remember – Till when should we receive? Receive or consume till you can renounce. It is okay to receiving one or two new things if we can resolve to donate an old possession.

Fourth is – Think, Whether to receive or not? We must ask ourselves – is it going to be beneficial for me? Will it cause any good to others also? If we remember this while receiving then we can say that our renunciation is worthwhile. If you have something that is no longer of use to you but can be useful to someone else then give it, donate it – this will make our renunciation worthwhile.

Donate – With Gratefulness

If someone donates with gratefulness then it immediately sends a message – see he is so down to earth even after giving. He keeps on giving all his possessions. What does it convey to us? This conveys that whatever you have in excess and can be useful to others then donate it – that’s the message the donor wants to convey.

Renunciation with Detachment

What did I give? I simply got rid of my load. The excess of burden, which I was not comfortable carrying. I had so much that it was putting me in trouble. By accepting a part of it the receiver has helped me reduce my load – if we develop such a feeling while donating then it is Tyaga Dharma (true renunciation). If we become detached then contentment comes automatically. Not only that but you generally get genuine appreciations and fame, without saying anything. However this, by any chance, shouldn’t be our motive behind Renunciation.

If after renunciation we bear any attachment or longing for the thing we have renounced then it simply nullifies our renunciation. People who take vrat-niyam are felicitated many times, but have you seen someone being felicitated for having grossed a lakh Rupees.

If we develop feelings of gratitude after renunciation then our mind becomes pure and pristine, our life shines with satisfaction and rises to a new level. Let’s pray that we raise our life to a new level by following this process.

Guruvar Kshamasagarji Maharaj Ki Jai!

Our sincere thanks to Yogendra for compiling such a nice article.

Jai Jinendra,

Maitree Samooh

Sunday, August 30, 2009

UTTAM SANYAM

It's seventh day of Paryushan Parv the day of Uttam Sanyam - Dharma which teaches us not to lead an arbitrary life but one which is self controlled and to attain the meaningful goals. We are presenting the article on Uttam Sanyam Dharma based on Pravachans of Munishri Kshamasagarj as captured in the famous book 'Guruvaani'. Hope you would find this interesting and useful.

You can also listen to audio clip of Munishri's pravachan on Sanyam on youtube-

"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHdsiBkmWo8


UTTAMA SANYAM (SUPREME RESTRAINT)

· To control, regularize and manage one’s mind-speech and senses is known as Sanyam.

· Sanyam doesn’t mean mere discipline; it is Aatmanushasan – discipline of one’s spiritual self.

Yesterday we made our minds to inculcate truth in our lives. To make sure we keep up our resolutions and don't get deviated we have today - the day of making our life more disciplined and committed. Whatever have we learnt so far, today we commit to ourselves to maintain that intact. If we have attained the flame of truth in our life then it becomes our duty to put a chimney of Sanyam or commitment on it so that the torch of truth remains intact.

Sanyam is not a Bondage/ Barrier

At first Sanyam may look like bondage, a barrier. Why should we restrict ourselves with what to do what not to do? Why should we be restricted by some commitment? Can’t we live without these commitments/ promises? If we want to make our lives better then it’s necessary to put some kind of restrictions or check points that make sure we only rise up in our lives. All other mundane bondages and worldly relations are only a cause of one’s downfall, whereas Sanyam in spite of being bondage helps you to rise in your life. It is just like the rope with which we tie a wine to some tree trunk or a stick so that with its help, the wine keeps growing upward.

Role of Discipline in Growth

We impose discipline in our life for several reasons – fear, material gains, or sometimes for our body – to protect our health. But all these disciplines don’t help us in improving our lives. Sanyam, therefore, does not mean mere discipline; it means Aatmanushasan – discipline of one’s spiritual self(by oneself).

Sanyam means – living a disciplined life, increasing one’s commitment and will power. It needs a lot of courage to take a pledge for a lifetime, to bind oneself under a limit, to commit oneself especially when it is not being imposed by someone else but a discipline being accepted by oneself. If we are able to gather this kind of courage then our 'self confidence' keep on growing by the day.

Sanyam (Restraint) the process of Refinement

What does Sanyam do to our life – it helps us refine and correct the deeply ingrained habits and tendencies which otherwise we find very difficult to get rid of. It is Sanyam which refines and corrects the tendencies that we have acquired due to our indiscipline, carelessness, disoriented lives. To refine such practices is the job of Sanyam or Spiritual Restraint.

Sanyam is a way to healthy and balanced life – what to eat, how to eat, when to eat, what to think, what is to be done and what not to be done…. If our life lacks health and balance then would we call it a healthy life? None of us wants to live an unhealthy or unbalanced life. Before doing anything, just think over it with respect to – when? How? Why? & What? What to do – what not to do? How to do – how not to do? Why to do – why not to do? Do not do whatever your mind & senses (mann aur indriyan) signals you . Just this little bit of thought will help us lead a healthy and balanced life. If our body feels sick then we get worried over it. We should be more worried if our Chetna is geting spoiled, if it is getting off balance.

To put our mind & senses to proper use, to give them a correct direction is called restraint of senses (Indriya Niyantran). Our senses are like a horse – a horse ride is considered pleasurable, & the horse is also supposed to be a fast & healthy one; not that you are riding a weak horse. If we kill all desires of our mind, paralyze our senses or harm them then it’s not going to help us. Instead direct/ guide your mind, & keep the rope control of your senses in your hand & then see how easy your life will become. All we have to do is imbibe only two things – practice and austerity.

Purity of Vision – Wholesomeness of Knowledge (Drushti Ki Nirmalta – Samyaktva Ka Pradurbhav, or Holistic knowledge)

The knowledge that shows the path of austerity is the best knowledge. A pure vision maintains a symbiosis of knowledge and austerity. Therefore our great Acharyas have said – “One who is rich with knowledge and austerity shall automatically achieve a balanced life.”

If we decide once to control, direct and discipline our mind, our senses, our speech and our life then our life shall surely be balanced, controlled, healthy, and restrained. Let’s all pray to raise our lives, to achieve Sanyam (Supreme discipline & restraint) in our lives.

Guruvar Kshamasagarji Maharaj Ki Jai!

Our warm thanks to Yogendra for compiling this article

उत्तम संयम

स्तुत शृंखला मुनिवर क्षमासागरजी महाराज के दश धर्म पर दिए गए प्रवचनों का सारांश रूप है. पूर्ण प्रवचन "गुरुवाणी" शीर्षक से प्रेषित पुस्तक में उपलब्ध हैं. हमें आशा है की इस छोटे से प्रयास से आप लाभ उठा रहे होंगे और इसे पसंद भी कर रहे होंगे.

इसी शृंखला में आज "उत्तम संयम" धर्म पर यह झलकी प्रस्तुत कर रहे हैं.



संयम धर्म - मुनिवर क्षमासागरजी महाराज
१. अपने मन वचन और इन्द्रियों को संयमित कर लेना, नियमित कर लेना, नियंत्रित कर लेना इसी का नाम संयम है.
२. संयम के मायने केवल अनुशासन हीं नहीं है, आत्मअनुशासन है.


संयम जीवन को अनुशासित और संकल्पित करने का अवसर है. हमने जीवन में सच्चाई लाने का मन बनाया है, इसके लिए जरुरी है की हम अपने जीवन को विभिन्न संकल्पों द्वारा संयमित करे जैसे कांच की एक चिमनी दीपक की लौ को जलाये रखती है उसे बुझने नहीं देती, ठीक ऐसे ही यदि हमने अपने जीवन में सत्य-ज्योति हासिल कर ली है तो हमारा कर्त्तव्य है की हम उस पर संयम की एक चिमनी रख दें जिससे सच्चाई की ज्योति कभी बुझ न पाये. संयम एक बंधन होते हुए भी जीवन को ऊंचा उठाने में मदद करता है, जैसे एक कुशल माली किसी लता में हल्का सा बंधन डाल देता है जो उसके विकास में सहायक सिद्ध होता है.

नदी के किनारे मजबूत न हो तो वह नदी यहाँ वहां फैलकर नष्ट हो जायेगी. ऐसे ही संयम/ अनुशासन हमारा जीवन ऊंचा उठाता है. हम सामान्य जीवन में भय से, स्वार्थवश कभी स्वास्थ्य रक्षा के लिए बहुत-से अनुशासन अंगीकार कर लेते है पर ये अनुशासन जीवन को ऊंचा नहीं बना पाते इसलिए संयम के मायने केवल अनुशासन ही नहीं आत्मानुशासन है, आत्मनियंत्रण है.

यदि द्दृष्टि आत्मउत्थान की है तो अपने ऊपर लगाये सारे अंकुश हमें ऊंचा उठा देंगे. व्यक्ति स्वयं अपने ऊपर अंकुश लगा ले, अपने को अनुशासित कर ले तो वह अनुशासन अपने को ऊंचा उठाने में मदद करता है.

संयम के मायने है - अपनी संकल्प शक्ति को अपने विल-पॉवर को भी बढ़ाना है. आज नयी पीढ़ी की शिकायत है की हममें आत्मविश्वास एवं संकल्प शक्ति की कमी है. कमी क्यों नहीं होगी? हमने अपने जीवन को संयमित करने का प्रयत्न ही नहीं किया है. यदि हम अपने जीवन को संयमित करे तो मालूम होगा अपनी संकल्प शक्ति का. जिसकी संकल्पः शक्ति जितनी अधिक होगी वह अपने जीवन को उतना अधिक संयमित कर सकता है. जीवनभर के लिए कोई नियम लेने के लिए बहुत साहस चाहिए. यह बंधन दूसरों के द्वारा नहीं बांधा जा सकता बल्कि स्वयं का साहस होना जरुरी है. यह साहस यदि हम जुटा लेते है तो ऐसे संकल्पों से ऐसे नियंत्रणों से हमारा जीवन धीरे-२ ऊंचा उठता है और हमारा आत्मविश्वास बढता चला जाता है.

संयम से हमारे संस्कारो का परिमार्जन होता है हमारे भीतर असंयम के, असावधानी के, अव्यवस्थित जीवन जीने के जो संस्कार पढ़े हुए है वे सब व्यवस्थित और परिमार्जित हो जाये यह संयम का काम है. एक बार भर्तहरी मुनि विरक्त होकर जंगल में साधना कर रहे थे अचानक एक हीरा देख कर उनका मन एक क्षण को डोल गया लेकिन अगले ही क्षण दो घुड़सवार वहां आये और हीरे पर अपने अधिकार के लिए लड़ने लगे और दो मिनिट में ही दोनों के सिर जमीन पर पड़े हुए थे और हीरा भी. भर्तहरी फिर से ध्यान में लीन हो गए और सोचने लगे यदि में भी चूक गया होता तो मेरी भी यही दशा होनेवाली थी. संस्कारो की ऐसी प्रबलता को हम संयम से आसानी से छोड़ सकते है.

संयम एक तरह का स्वस्थ और संतुलित जीवन है - क्या खाना - कैसे खाना- कब खाना - क्या सोचना - क्या करना - क्या नहीं करना आदि है. आचार्य भगवन्तो ने संयम की परिभाषा बनायीं है कि इदं कर्तव्यम - इदं न कर्तव्यम, इदं आचरणीयम्, इदं न आचरणीयम्, इति प्रतिज्ञाय और दूसरी परिभाषा बनाते है कि व्रत और समिति का पालन करना अपने मन, वचन और इन्द्रियों को संयमित कर लेना- नियमित कर लेना- नियंत्रित कर लेना इसी का नाम संयम धर्म है.

स्वस्थ और संतुलित जीवन जीने के लिए यह चार बातें हमेशा करे- कब ? -कैसे ? - क्यों ? और क्या ? कब खाएं, २४ घंटे खाते रहे क्या ? क्या जहाँ चाहें - चलते - फिरते - आते
- जाते खाना ? नहीं, शांति से बैठकर भगवान का स्मरण करके कोई चीज खाना, कोई चीज करना . हम दुनिया भर कि चीजों के बारे में ये प्रश्न करते हैं ? पर अपने चीजों के बारे में यह प्रश्न क्यों नहीं करते . अतः जो अपने मन और इन्द्रियों को मलिन करे वह नहीं करना यदि हम इतना विचार कर लेवें तो हमारा जीवन आसानी से संतुलित हो जायेगा .
इन्द्रियों और मन का सदुपयोग करना और उन्हें ठीक दिशा देना भी संयम है .इन्द्रियों घोड़ा के सामान है और घोड़ा तेज तर्रार होना चाहिये . ऐसे ही मन को मर लेने से , इन्द्रियों को नष्ट कर लेने से हमारे जीवन का उद्धार नहीं होगा बल्कि मन को ठीक दिशा देने एवं इन्द्रियों की लगाम अपने हाथ में रख लेने से ही हमारा जीवन ऊंचा होगा मतलब मन से अच्छे विचार करना , आँखों से अच्छा देखना , और वाणी से हित मित प्रिये कहना इत्यादि,
इन्द्रियों का सदुपयोग करना है . इन्द्रियों का सदुपयोग करना ही उन्हें नियंत्रित कर लेना है . कोई कठिन चीज़ नहीं है . यदि हमारे जीवन में थोड़ा सा अभ्यास और विरक्ति आ जाये तो हम अपने मन और इन्द्रियों को नियंत्रित कर सकते है और सदुपयोग कर सकते है.जिसके मन में दृष्टि कि निर्मलता है , जिसको सम्यकदृष्टि प्राप्त हो गयी है उसके जीवन में ज्ञान
और वैराग्य दोनों ही आ जाते है ,हमें भी ज्ञान और वैराग्य द्वारा अपने जीवन को नियंत्रित करने का प्रयास करना चाहिए .

यदि हम एक बार तय कर लेवें कि अपने मन को अपनी इन्द्रियों को, अपनी वाणी
को , अपने जीवन को एक दिशा देनी है, नियंत्रित करना है ,अनुशासित करना है तो हमारा जीवन जरूर से संयमित होगा, बोलिए मुनि क्षमासागर महाराज की जय .

-Maitree Samooh

Saturday, August 29, 2009

उत्तम सत्य

"उत्तम सत्य"

जिसका मन जितना सच्चा होगा उसका जीवन उतना ही सच्चा होगा. और जीवन उन्ही का सच्चा बनता है, वह ही सच के पास जाते हैं जो कषायों से मुक्त होकर आत्मस्थ हो जाते हैं.सत्य को पाना, सच्चा होना, सच बोलना - यह तीनों ही चीज़ें हमें अपने जीवन में सीख लेनी चाहिए.
सच को पाने का सीधा सा अर्थ है की हम आत्मस्वरूप को प्राप्त कर लें. इस संसार में सच्चाई इतनी ही है की हम शुद्धता का अनुभव करें. हम अपनी निर्मलता का अनुभव करें और उसमें लीन हो जाएँ, आत्मस्थ हो जाएँ - येही सच को पाना है. निर्विकार हो जाना ही सत्य को पाना है.चारों कषायों के अभाव में हम जो अपनी आत्मा की शुद्ध अवस्था को प्राप्त करते हैं वास्तव में वही सच्चाई है. लेकिन इस सच को पाने के लिए सच का आचरण करना पड़ेगा, भीतर से सच्चा होना पड़ेगा.यदि हम इतना पुरुषार्थ कर लें तो धीरे-धीरे हमारे जीवन में खूब ऊंचाई, खूब अच्छाई आ जायेगी.

सत्य को प्राप्त करने के मायने यहीं हैं की हमारा जीवन अत्यंत शांत और राग- द्वेष से रहित हो जाए .जब भी हम किसी की सच्चाई का सम्मान नहीं करते तोह मानियेगा हम उस व्यक्ति को झूठा होने के लिए प्रेरित करते हैं. यदि हम सच्चाई का सम्मान करना शुरू कर दें तो कोई व्यक्ति झूट क्यूँ बोलेगा ?

जिसका जीवन सच्चा हो जाता है, उसके द्वारा बोला गया हर शब्द सत्य होता है. क्यूंकि सच्चा व्यक्ति कभी दूसरो को क्षती नहीं पहुंचता .यदि झूठा व्यक्ति सच भी बोलेगा तो दुसरे को क्षती पहुंचाने के लिए ही बोलेगा .इसलिए बहुत ज़रूरी है पहले सच्चा होना और फिर सच बोलना.

आचार्यों ने स्पष्ट करने के लिए लिखा है - "सत्यम वद प्रियंवद " . सच बोले , प्रिय बोले. अप्रिय और असत्य तो बोलो ही मत. यदि झूट भी प्रिय हो तो मत बोलो और सच भी अप्रिय हो तो मत बोलो. इस प्रकार हम संभलके सोच-समझके अपने वचनों का प्रयोग करें तो अपने जीवन को उंचा उठा सकते हैं.
गुरुवर क्षमासागरजी महाराज की जय!


Uttam Satya

UTTAMA SATYA (SUPREME TRUTHFULNESS)

· Our life is as genuine as the truthfulness and genuineness of our mind and thoughts.

· Only those who are free of all Kashayas attain a life of truth.

Attaining truth means attaining our true nature, getting close to purest form of our soul. An unblemished soul can only attain truthfulness. Truthfulness is nothing but the pristine form of conscience in the absence of all four passions (anger, arrogance, maya (deceit), & greed).

The prerequisite to attain a truthful life is to make our mind truthful. To achieve this, our Acharyas have listed eight steps:

1. Never doubt truth and genuineness.

2. Even if a lie can get you everything in this world, never have a desire for this world. Instead only if we desire truth can we attain a truthful life.

3. Never disgust truth, never disgust a truthful person. What happens generally is that we loathe a truthful person; we consider him a fool, an out of date person. Stay away from such feelings.

4. Whatever may be the incentives , we shouldn’t step aside from the path of truth.

5. We might be imperfect while practicing truth, don't worry and keep improving.

6. A person trying to walk on the path of truth may defer on some instance, we should not only ignore his one off mistakes but also give him the chance to stabilize and return strongly.

7. Whenever the feeling of affection comes in the mind, feel affectionate for truth.

8. Start respecting truth and true people.

Whenever we don’t praise a person for his truthfulness, it’s basically motivating him to follow the path of lies. Nowadays it appears that liars get more benefits & so people think it’s better we lie & find an easy way out.

For example, a student couldn’t do his homework due to headache. When asked about it, the student truthfully says that he couldn’t complete his homework due to headache. The teacher punishes this student thinking that he must be giving lame excuses.

On the other hand another student who didn’t do his homework lied with confidence that he has done his homework. The teacher didn’t even check his copy. So the other student thought “what use of my truthfulness is?” I could have also lied like him and would have avoided the punishment.

On such occasions we must try to mete better justice and make sure that we appreciate the true person. If we appreciate truth then slowly our life will also become truthful.

Meaning of Truth

It is necessary that we are truthful first and then speak the truth. As a truth spoken by a liar can be very harmful! Speaking truth doesn’t only mean stating a fact as it is. Before telling a fact, Acharyas have asked us to consider the following – first of all avoid use of words so far as possible, that’s the most desirable situation. If this is not possible then speak words that are not going to hurt others. When we renounce all such detrimental words and swear to speak the truth then it’s called “Satya Mahavrat”.

Jain Acharyas have defined truth as – that which is harmless (hitkari)is truth. A truth that will cause harm to someone is put into the category of lies. Jain Acharyas say that it is secondary whether you are telling a fact as it is or not. What’s more important is whether it is said with pure intentions or with feelings of anger-greed-mockery etc.

Intention is Important

While speaking truth weight it on the following criteria – firstly speak the truth, make sure you are saying with a good intent and pure mind, a truth spoken with a maligned conscience would be a lie.

Secondly, before speaking truth think over its impact, the result. Remember words have a significant impact; you may get into a fight with someone and beat him up – he may forget that in a few days. But if your words have hurt someone deeply, then its marks will remain on his mind for a lifetime.

Wealth and power are two things that divert a person from truth. Once you know that you have power or authority (due to money or position), then it’s very easy to forget the path of truth. So be cautious of these two, and even if you have them never forget the path of truth and modesty.

Speak – that which is true and delightful

On the path of truth all we need to do is to be a bit cautious and speak that which is true and delightful at the same time. Let’s take a small example to understand this:

A king wanted to make a portrait picture of him. Many artists were called to do this. A king’s portrait shall be really beautiful but our king had a problem – he had lost one of his eyes. On one hand the picture should be beautiful & on the other hand if the picture is to show the truth then it won’t have an eye & wouldn’t look beautiful.

So one of the artists thought “I’ll draw what’s true, & not what’s pleasing (but untrue).” He made a beautiful picture except that it didn’t have an eye. The king didn’t like that picture.

Another artist thought “The picture should look beautiful irrespective of whether it shows the truth or not.” So he made the picture with two beautiful eyes. Looking at that the king said “That’s a beautiful portrait, but it doesn’t show the truth.”

This one looks pleasing but is untrue. First one didn’t look pleasing but wasn’t true. Both got rejected. A truth that’s unpleasant is not appropriate neither is a lie that’s pleasing.

Third artist made another picture. In that the king looks mighty, is brave & is shown as an archer. He has a bow & an arrow in his hand & is taking an aim. While taking an aim one eye has to be closed, this way the artist pictures the king with one eye closed. That picture was passed because it was both true & delightful.

The lesson here is not to be deceitful, but as the painter achieved both, the picture told the truth in a way that didn't hurt the king. Similarly we should find out a way of telling truth which doesn't hurt someone.

Similarly if we make an effort and cautiously use our speech then there is no doubt that we will rise in our life. On every single day try to find at least one such incident where even if we had to lie to someone (for pity gains, or out of fear), then confess it to that person before the evening.

Let’s pray that we become more truthful and genuine day by day.

Guruvar Kshamasagarji Maharaj Ki Jai!


Our sincere thanks to Yogendra for compiling this article !

Thursday, August 27, 2009

उत्तम शौच

"उत्तम शौच" - पूज्य मुनिश्री क्षमासागरजी

हम आनंद लें उस चीज़ में जो हमें प्राप्त है| यह ना देखें की दूसरे के पास क्या है, जो हमारे पास है,उस में खुश रहे अन्यथा मुश्किलें पैदा होती हैं |अपनी ऐसी ही मुश्किलों को आसान करने के लिए हमारे मन में सरलता होना चाहिए, ईमानदारी होना चाहिए,हमारे भीतर उन्मुक्त ह्रादयता होनी चाहिए. और इतना ही नहीं हम स्पष्टवादी होवें, बहुत सीधा-सादा जीवन जीने का प्रयास करें, जितना बन सकें भोलापन लावें| बच्चों में भी होता है भोलापन, पर वह अज्ञानतापूर्वक होता है | लेकिन ज्ञान हासिल करने के बाद का भोलापन ज्यादा काम का होता है | निशंक होकर , बहुत सहज होकर, भोलेपन से जियें तो हमारा जीवन बहुत ऊँचा और बहुत अच्चा बन सकता है | जो
मलिनताएँ हमारे भीतर हैं उन्हें कैसे हटायें और कैसे हम अपने जीवन को, अपनी वाणी को, अपने मन को, अपने कर्म को पवित्र बनाएं |
जो आतंरिक सुचिता या आतंरिक निर्मलता का भाव है वही शौच धर्म है |लोभ के अभाव में शुचिता आती है |हम लोभ के प्रकार देखते हैं -
पहला है वित्तेषणा -> यह है धन- पैसे का लोभ | धन कितना ही बढ़ जाए कम ही मालुम होता है| धन का लोभ कभी रुकता नहीं है, बढ़ता ही चला जाता है |
दूसरा है पुत्रेषणा-लोकेषणा -> यह है अपने पुत्र और परिवार का लोभ |
तीसरा है समाज में अपनी प्रतिष्ठा का लोभ | यह तीन ही प्रकार के लोभ होते हैं , इन तीनों का लोभ हमें मलिन करता है | बस इन तीनों पे नियंत्रण पाना ही हमारे जीवन को बहुत निर्मल बना सकता है | लोभ की तासीर यही है की आशाएं बढ़ती हैं, आश्वासन मिलते हैं और हाथ कुछ भी नहीं आता | जो अपने पास है वह दिखने लगे तो सारा लोभ नियंत्रित हो जायेगा | व्यक्तिगत असंतोष, पारिवारिक असंतोष, सामाजिक असंतोष - कितने तरह के असंतोष हमें घेर लेते हैं | अगर हम समझ लें दूसरे के पास जो है वह उस में खुश है , और जो अपने पास है उस में हम आनंद लें तोह जीवन का अर्थ मिल जायेगा |
जीवन में निर्मलता के मायने हैं - जीवन का चमकीला होना | निर्मलता के मायने हैं - मन
का भीगा होना | निर्मलता के मायने हैं- जीवन का शुद्ध होना | निर्मलता के मायने हैं -जीवन का सारगर्भित होना | निर्मलता के मायने हैं - जीवन का निखालिस होना | इतने सारे मायने हैं पवित्रता के, निर्मलता के | जब मुझे मलिनतायें घेरें तो उनपे मियंत्रण रखना ज़रूरी है | हमारा मन जितना भीग जाता है उतना ही निर्मल हो जाता है |
अगर किसी की आँख भर जाए तो वह कमज़ोर माना जाता है | आज कोई रोने लगे तो बिलकुल बुद्धू माना जाए |
आज अगर मन भीग जाए तो हम आउट ऑफ़ डेट माने जायें | बहुत कठोर हो गए हैं हम , हमारी निर्मलता हमारे कठोर मन से गायब हो गयी | जबकि हमारा मन इतना निर्मल होना चाहिए था की दूसरो के दुःख को , संसार के दुखों को देखकर द्रवित हो जाएँ उसमें डूब जाएँ |इसी तरह हमें जो प्राप्त है हम उसमें संतुष्ट होंगे और जो हमें प्राप्त नहीं है उसे पाने का शांतिपूर्वक सद्प्रयास करेंगे तोह हम जीवन में सदेव आगे बढ़ते जायेंगे |
गुरुवर क्षमासागरजी महाराज की जय!
मैत्री समूह रेशु जैन का इस प्रवचन सारांश को बनाने में दिए गए योगदान के लिए सहृदय धन्यवाद करता है.

Uttam Souch( Contentment – The Lack of Greed)

It’s fourth day of Paryushan- the day of Uttam Souch Dharma( Supreme Contentment ) . We are pleased to share with you the excerpts from the book Guruvaani( A collection of 10 pravachans by Munishri Kshamasagarji )


Uttam Souch( Contentment – The Lack of Greed)

· Learn to enjoy what you already have.

· We do not see what we have, we see what others have.

We always expect that others should have a pure conscience and should think well about us. If we expect this from others then we must also ensure that we think for other’s wellness, our conscience does not have malice for others; but at times it does. So we have to think how to cleanse our conscience of this malice & make our mind speech & conduct purer by all means.

शुचिता - लोभ का अभाव (Contentment – The Lack of Greed)

The feeling of inner purity is in fact Shauch Dharma (Contentment). Let’s try to understand the Shauch Dharma in light of the four Kashayas namely – Anger (Krodh), Arrogance/ Pride (Maan), Deceit (Maya), and Greed (Lobha).

Contentment & purity comes in the absence of greed. If there is a reason behind malice/ impurity then it’s Greed. If we look at our day to day life then we see three kinds of malice or there are three kinds of Greed that we possess.

Types of Greed

1. वित्तेषणा (The Greed of Wealth)

The peculiarity of this greed is that the more we gain the greedier we become. Everyone has the greed for money. We have listened in so many ways about Greed for wealth, but could we really get rid of it till date? The solution to this issue is that we keep as much is necessary for us, and give up the longing for any more. Alternatively we can divert this greed in some other direction. We can spend more time in Spiritual practices so that we are away from this greed for that much time. We can surely do this much.

2. पुत्रेषणा (The Greed of Son & Family)

3. लोकेषणा (The Greed of Family)

Who doesn’t know that Greed leads to misery & downfall of a person? But does this really help? The yearning to achieve anything that we see has been deep rooted in us since ever. Although these things may not be really useful for us and in fact harm us. We know that however we still follow them blindly. We have to think over this. When we had four items in our home, we were able to live our life happily; now we have four hundred but still miss the peace of mind. It means I must limit my possessions and long for the things others have. Others long for what we have. It’s simple math – if we realize what we have then all the Greed would be gone. But we generally don’t realize what we have achieved & the feeling of discontent keeps on growing by the day. So should we just ignore what others have? No, all we need to do is to let the other person be happy in what he has & enjoy what we have.

All our longings give us are consolations but in reality we end up achieving nothing. If we are contented with what we have then we wouldn’t have anything else to be earned. What do we earn for? To achieve contentment/satisfaction. But we end up earning everything in this world but self satisfaction.

There’s a popular story by Tolstoy – “How much Land does a man require?” that all of us must have heard.

Somebody conferred a blessing on a man that “starting from sunrise to sunset all the land that you walk through and come back shall be yours.” So this man started running with first ray of sun & kept running without stopping. He had to return to the starting point before sunset. But he was so exhausted by the time he reached 4-5 feet before the finishing point; he collapsed & never woke up again. He breathed his last breath at that point. It was written on his grave – “How much Land does a man require?”

We should ask ourselves how much do we need. If we know how less do we need & start enjoying what we have, then contentment & inner purity is imminent.

PURITY IN LIFE

Purity has several meanings – a spotless life, a pristine conscience, a life full of meaning (purpose).

A spotless life is not in terms of a clean body, it means a spotless mind and thoughts. Throughout a day we get so many chances where our mind is likely to be clouded by bad feelings for others. If we know that our mind cannot have malice by anyone’s action then we can be sure that our life is spotless & sparkling. This may not sound very easy. But we can surely try that out of a hundred chances that I get in a day, I’ll restrain myself from maligning our mind.

What do we mean by pristine conscience? If we see someone crying today then we consider him a weak person. It might even be considered out of fashion. Our heart is deprived of its softness. Whereas our conscience should be so pristine that even looking at other’s sorrows, other’s misery our eyes should be sodden (become teary). Vinoba Bhave used to say – I always clean my own room & throw the dust myself so that I am reminded everyday that the way I wouldn’t like to sit in a dirty room, how would God like to come in a dirty mind. God comes only in a pristine conscious. The more we give up malice the purer our conscience becomes.

An incident from Shrimad Raychand’s life explains beautifully what a pure life or a life full of meaning means. Shrimad Raychand had made a deal of Jewels with someone. Once the deal was finalized all of sudden, prices of Jewels went so high that if the other person had to pay for the deal, he would be forced into a bankruptcy. He didn’t show up to Raychandji. This was very evident to Raychandji. He knew even if the other person sells off all his property, he cannot pay for the goods. So one day Raychandji himself went to that person’s house. On seeing him, the other person said “Sir, why did you take the pain of coming here! Believe me I’ll pay every single penny I owe you.”

To this Raychandji said “First of all you show me the paper on which we made that deal.

That person handed over the paper to Raychandji. “Just because of this piece of paper you have lost the peace of your mind.” said Raychandji tearing the paper into pieces in front of that person. He said “Raychand is a Jain. He drinks milk, not man’s blood!”

Now what do we understand from this? This is called the purity of mind, the clarity of purpose of life. And a person who is so pure is respected by everyone.

The take away from these incidents is that we have to learn how to give up on our Greed. Make sure that you find at least one chance in a day where you try to attain contentment & purity of mind & conscience. Such chances are rare in our lives but if we can benefit from them then they’ll help us give up on our greed and help us attain this Dharma of inner fulfilment and self satisfaction.

Guruvar Kshamasagarji Maharaj Ki Jai!

Maitree Samooh extends warm thanks to Yogendra for compiling and translating this nice article.

Jai Jinendra,

Regards,

Maitree Samooh

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

"उत्तम आर्जव" पर्युषण पर्व: तृतीय दिवस

प्रस्तुत शृंखला मुनिवर क्षमासागरजी महाराज के दश धर्म पर दिए गए प्रवचनों का सारांश रूप है. पूर्ण प्रवचन "गुरुवाणी" शीर्षक से प्रकाशित पुस्तक में उपलब्ध हैं. हमें आशा है की इस छोटे से प्रयास से आप लाभ उठा रहे होंगे और इसे पसंद भी कर रहे होंगे.

इसी शृंखला में आज "उत्तम आर्जव" धर्म पर यह झलकी प्रस्तुत कर रहे हैं.

जय जिनेन्द्र!

"उत्तम आर्जव"

जीवन में उलझनें दिखावे और आडम्बर की वजह से हैं . हमारी कमजोरियां जो मजबूरी की तरह हमारे जीवन में शामिल हो गयी हैं , उनको अगर हम रोज़ -रोज़ देखते रहे और उन्हें हटाने की भावना भाते रहे तो बहुत आसानी से इन चीज़ों को अपने जीवन में घटा बढा सकते हैं . हमारे जीवन का प्रभाव आसपास के वातावरण पे भी पड़ता है .जब हमारे अंदर कठोरता आती है तो आसपास का परिवेश भी दूषित होता है . इसीलिए इस बात का सदैव ध्यान रखना चाहिए की हमारे व्यव्हार से किसी को कष्ट हो .

दुसरे के साथ हम रूखा व्यव्हार करेंगे , दुसरे के साथ छल -कपट करेंगे , धोखा देंगे और इसमें आनंद मानेंगे तो हमारी विश्वसनीयता और प्रमाणिकता दोनों ही धीरे -धीरे करके ख़तम हो जायेगी . वर्तमान में ये ही हो रहा है . हम कृत्रिम हो गए हैं ,दिखावा करने लगे हैं जिससे लोगों के मन में हमारे प्रति विश्वास नहीं रहा ,एक -दुसरे के प्रति संदेह ज्यादा हो गया , यहाँ तक की परिवार में भी एक -दुसरे के प्रति स्नेह ज्यादा है -विश्वास कम है . लेकिन रिश्ते तो सब विश्वास से चलते हैं . रिश्ता चाहे भगवान् से हो या संसार के व्यक्तियों से या वस्तुओं से , सभी विश्वास और श्रध्दा के बल पे ही हैं . यदि हम श्रध्दा और विश्वास बनाये रखना चाहते हैं तो हमारा फ़र्ज़ है की हम आडम्बर से बचें , अपने मन को सरल बनाने की कोशिश करें .

सरलता के मायने हैं - इमानदारी ,सरलता के मायने हैं - स्पष्टवादिता ,सरलता के मायने हैं - उन्मुक्त ह्रदय होना , सरलता के मायने हैं - सादगी , सरलता के मायने हैं - भोलापन , संवेदनशीलता और निष्कपटता .

हमें इन बातों को धीरे -धीरे अपने जीवन में लाना होगा , या फिर इनसे विरोधी जो चीज़ें हैं उनसे बचने का प्रयास करना होगा . इमानदार और सरल होने पे यह मुश्किल खड़ी हो सकती है की लोग हमें हानि पहुंचायें . यह मुश्किल थोडी बढेगी पर इसके बाद भी हमें अपनी इमानदारी बनाये रखना है . किसी ने हमको ठग लिया तो हम भी उसे ठग लें यह बात गलत है . यह बात मनुष्य जीवन में सीख लेना है की -

"कबीरा आप ठगाइए ,और ठगिये कोए

आप ठगाए सुख उपजे ,पर ठगिये दुःख होए "

कोई अपने को ठग ले तो कोई हर्ज़ नहीं पर इस बात का संतोष तो रहेगा की मैंने तो किसी को धोका नहीं दिया . एक बार धोका देना ,या छल -कपट करने का परिणाम हमें सिर्फ इस जीवन में नहीं बल्कि आगे आने वाले कई भवों तक भोगना पड़ेगा .

बाबा भारती के घोडे की बात तो सबको मालूम है . बाबा भारती से डाकू ने घोड़ा छीन लिया लेकिन बाबा भारती ने डाकू से यही कहा की -'यह बात किसी से कहना मत नहीं तो लोगों का विश्वास उठ जायेगा की दीन -हीन की मदद नहीं करना चाहिए '. एक बार हम धोखा दे देते हैं तो हमारी इमानदारी पर संदेह होने लगता है ,इसलिए सरलता वही है जिसमें हम इमानदार रहते हैं , दूसरों के साथ छल नहीं करते , विश्वास और प्रमाणिकता बनाये रखते हैं . हम कहीं भी हो ,हमारा ह्रदय उन्मुक्त होना चाहिए .

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