Mumbai, Asvin Vadi 2, 1944
Obeisance to Lord Parswanath.
Dear Satyabhilashi Ujamshi, Rajnagar,
Displaying own greatness to the world has been attempted infinite times, yet that did not result in any good. For, wandering (of the embodied soul) along with its root-causes is still visibly existent (even today). If one life-span be devoted for the welfare of the soul, indeed that will make good the loss incurred in infinite past births. This is my humble understanding and my energy is directed to that end. In getting rid of this great bondage, if it be a strong belief to accept only those sadhanas(spiritual implements) that appear to be the best, what good is there in attending to the desirability or undesireabilitly of the world? It might speak whatsoever it chooses, but if soul gets freed or reaches to own peaceful state, that should be done. And then for all time, the soul can remain free from the feeling of praise and censure.
At present whatever conceptions are prevailing in the minds of those persons and their associates, for me, are within my attentive memory; but it is beneficial to forget them. You, are bereft of anxiety; be composed on listening to whatever one speaks about me; be not moved to sorrow or pleasure with respect to those persons. Be ever remembering Paramatma Jin Great Yogindra Parswanath and other, God of the person for whom you have spiritual attachment, and becoming detached as far as possible, be desirous of the state of Freedom. Do not hold any thought on life or death.
To purify Upayoga (the resultant of consciousness or inclination arising from consciousness) forget all thoughts about the world, remember the state of Lords of Yogis like Paraswanath and others and ever keep on that desire. That is my teaching to you again and again with blessings. This least-knowing soul, too, is an aspirant of that Pada (most exalted state) and an humble pupil devoted to the to the lotus-feet of that wise Personage and instructs you to engage in the devotion of similar faith.
Be not ever forgetful that all nature of Jiva and other five substances as taught by Mahavir Swami from points of Dravya, Kshetra, Kala, and Bhava is actually so in reality. Be repentful for the slightest disrespect shown in any way to His Teachings. Considering this decaying age, complete conscientious-surrendering of mind, speech, and body to Him is the path of Liberation. Keep out of memory the faith and opinion of all religions of the world; forget all thoughts about Jainism; only be attentive by directing Upayoga to the wholely self-absorbed astonishing lives of those saintly personages.
Rejoice not, neither be mournful in any way for this "Revered" as esteemed by you. His only desire is to be free from thoughts and decisions. There is absolutely no concern or connection by way of taking or giving between him and this strange world . It being so, he desires not now to divert his mind to whatever thoughts entertained or spoken about him in this world. It is his ever conscientious, most dear, beneficial and craving aspiration to get freedom from debt by gradually repaying the particles of matter collected from this universe in past incarnations. Except this, nothing else he knows; nothing else he aspires. All his activity takes shape under the pressure of potential Karmas of foregoing births. Knowing this, be you greatly contented; keep this matter secret. It is not essential to show the world what we believe or how we behave. But it is incumbent upon us to ask the 'Soul' to abandon thought and decision, attachment and aversion if he craves for emancipation and ask him to state if there is any element of objection in so doing. Of his own record he will come to right reasoning and belief and of his own accord he will leave them.
In whatever way and at any cost, to be entirely free from the emotions of attachments and repulsion's is my Dharma (religion); and at present, the same I preach to you. However, I shall be teaching you if possible some sadhana (pratical method) for self-realization when we shall meet in person. But truly indeed, Dharma is that as enunciated by me above and so direct your faithful attention to it. Upayoga itself is Sadhana i.e. the effort of achieving attentiveness to the consciousness it itself truly a particle method for realizing the soul. Better Sadhana is the devotion to the holy feet of the spiritual preceptor: this too I reveal to you for your benefit.
Hold fast in your heart and mind all that is said and told; be attentive to Dharma; it is not befitting to get pleased or mournful for any substance of this world, relatives, family and friend. Desiring only the perfect tranquil state is our universally accepted Dharma and it shall be achieved by remaining constantly desirous of that desire: therefore be at peace and ease. Let this be remembered that I belong not to any sect of religion but to Eternal Self alone.
To whom physical body is only an instrument for practicing Dharma and who hence tries for its preservation, that act of his, too, falls under Dharma.
Rajchandra
Mumbai, Aswin Vadi 10, Samvat Year 1945
"Seek not anything else finding only a Sat-Purusha(Divine Personage) and surrendering all bhavas(Inner Thinking) before his lotus life feet go on obeying his commands. After doing this if you do not obtain liberation, come take it from me.
Sat-Purusha is he who has pure conviction of soul each moment of night and day, whose utterance is such as though not found in the scriptures or heard of before yet which can be experienced, and whose conduct with no inner desire is comprehensible. The rest about him is beyond words for expression.
Without doing this there is no escape for you at any time. Consider these words of experience as honest and upright.
If one span of human life be devoted to a Sat-Purusha, in praising all his wishes and in believing them as all truth, you will positively be liberated within a maximum of 15 rebirths."
Raichand's Pranama
Bombay Kartika Sud 14, Vikram Samvat 1947
...From time infinity there has persisted a delusion of self to self. This is an unutterable astonishing point for thinking . There where mind fails to reach, how is it possible for words to reach?
Constantly practice the course-study of evenness of mind (Udaseenta).
Constantly remain absorbed in devotion of a Sat-Purusha (Divine Personage), the wise realized self.
Constantly be ever remembering the divine lives of spiritually great souls.
Constantly ponder over the supernatural characteristic qualities of high spiritual souls.
Constantly observe with love of heart the peaceful and serene profiles of the seers of Self.
Constantly meditate ever and again on amazing secrets (as revealed) in each action of their mind, speech and body.
Constantly accept without reserve all as accepted by them.
This is, indeed, the absolute secret lying hidden in the hearts of fully realized souls, worthy to be accepted, believed, pondered over, and absorbed in , every moment and each instant for obtaining liberation.
And verily, this is the sacred great path for realizing the secret of all scriptures, understanding the heart of all saints and for reaching to the supreme abode of the absolute. And the essential root-cause for that all is the blessed association with any Sat-Purusha, wise personage and an unflinching faith thereof.
For attaining emancipation from bondage that alone has to be comprehended and that alone has to be achieved. There is no escape therefrom. So do it either today or tomorrow, after a hundred thousand years if you so choose or even later or earlier than that, in case you are so inclined.
In each invisible minutest part of Divine consciousness, that Path alone is acceptable to me...
Raichand's respects.
Bombay, Posha Vikram Samvat 1947
What's the reason for not finding the path to liberation by an individual?
After reflecting on this several times, when needed, read the letter attached herewith.
For the present our soul-state is such that we can neither write nor inform. Yet only to prevent your heart from some affliction, what appeared appropriate for the occasion has been written. We feel, the path is straight but the cause for its acquisition is hard to obtain.
Salutations to the True Form (Divinity) with inseparateness of spirit and unparalleled devotion.
Without arising unshakable love and without true convincing faith towards the lotus-feet of an enlightened superior, who is constantly moving with an unbinding (unattached) inner spirit, no achieving of own true self-form can be had; and on getting these the aspirant assuredly attains the state of one whose lotus-feet he had adored. All realized souls treaded with respect this path, tread it now and will tread the same in the future. Realization of self had dawned on us by following that path; in the present it is achieved by the same path and for the future the path for realization remains unchanged. Giving a scrutinizing look into the aim of precepts of Shastras, the path appears the same.
And whosoever desires deliverance should serve this order with unbroken intent. From ageless time roamed an individual by not revering this path. So long as blindness in the form of self-will exists in an individual, the glimpse of the path remains obscured to him. For the removal of blindness he should think of the path, should resolutely wish for emancipation and should not remain inadvertent in that reflection. Doing thus, blindness gets removed and the path is reached. Believe this without doubt. Since eons of time and individual has treaded a wrong path. And though infinite times he has practiced chanting, penance, study of scriptures etc, yet surely what was proper for him to do, he has not done. This has been shown by us in the very beginning.
In Sutrakritanga Sutra (a Jain Scripture) where Lord Rishabhdevji has preached ninety-eight sons and brought them on to the path of liberation, there the same teaching is given.
Oh, Long lived Ones! This individual has practiced all but this. If asked what that is, then we way certainly that either he has not heard the wise words and teaching of a Sat-Purusha or has not held them appreciably. And the holding of the same we call the attainment of Soul-nature.
Sudharma Swami while instructing his disciple Jambuswami says: he who has truly perceived the nature of the whole universe, such Lord Mahavir has told us thus: infinite persons remaining in obedience to Guru goes liberated on getting on the path.
Not only at this place but at all places and in all scriptures the aim is to tell the same fact.
Devotional obedience is religion,
Devotional obedience is austerity,
At all places that is the directed point of wise persons. An individual has not understood it. Amongst other reasons for this the chiefest is the self-will- you think out from this the best remedy for getting rid of bondage in the form of worldly substances, kindered and family, vain belief of body as self and thoughts and impulses. And after reflecting over it you ask us whatever you think fit. If you cultivate worthiness for that pathway, you will achieve pacification of emotions from anywhere. Be in search of a person through whom a state of pacification can be gained and whose command be obeyed with reverence.
The rest all means are worthy to be employed afterwards. On reflection no other path, of liberation but this will be visible. Yet if you feel it in any imaginary way, tell us so that we can inform you what is true.
Mumbai, Maha Suda, Samvat Year 1947
VACHANAVALI
1. The embodied soul has been oblivious of his own self and so he is bereft of his own real bliss. This is told as per common precept of all religions.
2. Believe without a tinge of doubt that by the gain of true knowledge, ignorance, the prime cause of self-forgetfulness is annihilated.
3. The gain of knowledge can be had only through self-realized wise person. Naturally this is understood as such and yet the Jiva (embodied soul) severs not his association with ignorant preceptor due to fear of losing his worldly reputation and such other causes. Verily this is the root of Anantanubandhi Kashaya. (Kashaya means emotion or passion. That kind of passionate attitude, which leads to a binding of Karma capable of potentially keeping the soul roaming in this world for infinite period, is called Anantanubandhi Kashaya.)
4. One, who aspires for self-knowledge, should surrender himself to and act upto the wishes of self-experienced spiritual preceptor. Such is the basic teaching of Jain scriptures and all other Shashtras. By acting on self-opinionated will, he wandered for and infinite period.
5. Disappearance of ignorance is impossible so long as the asprirant cares not to behave according to the will and guidance of the living wise Guru (Gnani Guru or God-man).
6. Only that person can devotedly obey to the will of a wise Gnani Guru, who abandons all attachment to body, mind and wealth and leans to the devotion of Guru with whole mind and heart.
7. Though Gnani desires not devotion of the pupil, yet without doing so, to an aspirant of liberation, the teaching neither bears fruit nor becomes the cause of contemplation and mediation. It is for this reason that the truly wise personages advocated a primary principle that an aspirant of Moksha should surely dedicate himself to the devotion of a Gnani.
8. Everything told here has the sanction of all Shashtras.
9. ( Tirthankar ) Rishabhadevji had taught the same to ( his ) ninety-eight sons for attaining Moksha with a great speed.
10. Shukdevji has also preached the same to King Parikshita.
11. Acting on self-opinionated will, a Jive might put in efforts for time infinity, even then he by his own initiative can never gain self-knowledge, but a devout disciple obeying the will of a Gnani Guru can achieve absolute perfect Knowledge even within a period shorter then an hour.
12. The commandments found narrated in Shastras are external or outwardly and have been prescribed for raising a Jive to a deserving state. For the purpose of attaining Moksha ( Liberation ), the commands of a present Holy Preceptor need to be obeyed faithfully and heartily.
13. Here are revealed the spiritual steps of Knowledge, there is no other way to liberation.
14. One who propitiously meditates on that secret Tattva meets the true nectar (salvation) and becomes fearless (devoid of fear of births and deaths).
Personal Diary
Chaitra Sud 13, Vikram Samvat 1952 (A.D 1895)
"To one who had neither a desire nor a craving for anything but Moksha and whose aspiration for Moksha has subsided fully due to his joyous absorption in infinite Reality, to him, O God! What else would you give on your gracious pleasing?
O, Merciful God! In your inseparable entity lies my abode, wherefore we have been absolved from the uneasy concern of giving and taking. And that is our Paramanand.
The ignorant beings not understanding rightly the path of welfare and the true nature of reality guess the way to liberation only by imaginative intellect and whilst practicing the various forms of remedies they simply rove in this universe(samsar) instead of attaining Moksha. Knowing this our causelessly compassionate heart weeps.
How could these living beings have the Darshan(sight) of Mahavira, who forgetting the Mahavira in the present, in his search go wandering in the past?
Oh unfortunate living creatures of this era of suffering! Give up dwelling upon the past and come to the refuge of the living Mahavira - that is the only way to happiness.
To quench the three-sided fire of distress of those Self-loving aspirants, who are troubled with the annoying heat of Samasar (cycle of births) and wish liberation from karmic bondage, we are the ocean of nectar. For the spiritual welfare of the real aspiring persons we are the Kalpa-Vrisha (i.e. a tree capable of fulfilling all desires only on thinking.
What more can we say?
In these times of turmoil, we are like a Shree Rama or Shree Mahavira, who are the very abodes of profound peace-because we have completely identified ourself with Paramatma (Absolute Supreme Being).
This inner experience did not find utterance out of pride for the belief in reaching the state of Paramatma. But the causeless and self-less pity induces us to exhibit our heart's insight, pity to effect the welfare for and raise up the state of unhappy worldly beings encircled by the Karmic bondage.
Om Shree Mahavira
Mumbai, Ashad Sud 4. Samavat Year 1953
Salutations to Shri Sobhag. The aspiring state of Shri Shobhag and his wonderful determination for following the path of the Gnanis come to memory again and again. All beings desire happiness, yet some rare persons know the true from of happiness. From beginningless time the remedy for extermination of infinite miseries like birth, death etc. is not known to an individual. On springing up true desire to know and to follow the means, if he gets a benefit of the company of an enlightened person he can know the remedy and serving it becomes free from all miseries. Mostly even such true desire arises out of the contact with holy Person. Such association, recognition of it, faith in the path revealed and an effort to follow it are very hard for obtainment by and individual. To acquire human body, to get a hearing of the wise words of realized person, to have conviction thereof and to attempt to tread the pathway as directed are most difficult to have. So preached Shri Varhaman Swami in the third study of Uttardhyana.
To the true aspirants, moving in the company of and taking refuge under the feet of a Great Soul, all instruments for attaining liberation become fruitful mostly with slight effort and in a short time. Yet the acquisition of such association is rarley easy. The mind of real aspirants ever remain fixed on having such association. To gain contact of the Enlightened One by an individual is most hard in all three times and in such present time of spiritual degeneration it is seldom found. Very, very few Enlightened Persons move on and adorn the earth. Knowing that the benefit of meeting him is unparalleled, it is proper for a person to exercise convincing faith in the pathway leading to the abode of Bliss and to propitiate in unceasingly. When there is no occasion of meeting him, taking off the interest from worldly possessions the study of spiritual scriptures should mostly be made. Even if the worldly activities appear to be forced upon, a person who wills to lessen the interest, can do so and then can have sufficient time for studying scriptures. The meeting with Great Soul and hearing of holy scriptures become highly beneficent to those whose inner interest in such activities and such possessions has become sick, that is , knowing them of no value they have turned their faces. Penetration of the meaning of the words of Great Soul or Shastras unto the inmost recesses of heart is difficult in case of a person with more inclination for activity and extraneous objects. In an initial stage it appears a severe task to decrease the degree of attachment for these and to create a will for the study of scriptures, because his ageless nature is quite distinct from it. Yet he who has determined to do so, has succeeded. So summoning great enthusiasm such effort should be made. A determined resolve and daily regular discipline in this matter, is worth doing by all real aspirants; negligence and irregularity need be eradicated."
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