By Ujwala Shah
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Couldn't understand જિસકી હોનહાર ભલી હો ઉસે વૈસી હી નિમીત્ત મિલતી હૈ.
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Dharma study is not for later stages in life, it is a scientific study.
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Look for advisors in the field of Dharma similar to how we seek guidance in other fields. For some reason with dharma we either inherit principles and practice from family / friends without proper understanding or we believe we can interpret it by ourself and surprisingly we aren’t careful and analytical on this matter.
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You have to learn, understand, and decide for yourself. Avoid vehemently putting forward your ideas and opinions about dharma.
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Influenced by Kanji Swami, retired early to do Swadhyay - self study. જબ કાર્ય હોના હોતા હૈ, તબ નિમિત હાત જોડ કર ખડે હોતે હૈ.
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Wroter after immersing in herself - ધ્યાનતા સ્વભાવ (Dnyata Swabhav). This helped her ત્તવ ચીતંન (Tattva Chintan) - deep thinking of Jain principles and increased strengthening of the Right Belief.
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Topics to read about:
- નીમિત્ત ઉપાદાન Nimitta - Upadan
- ક્રમભધ્દ પરયાય Kramabaddha paryay
- અભાવાસ Abhavas
- Difference between શબ્ધજ્ઞાન (Shabdha Gnyan) and આત્મજ્ઞાન (Atma Gnyan).
- Explain exact nature of True religion - સનાતન ધર્મ
- We inherit સંસ્કાર - basic religious culture.
- Briefly explain true nature of God (Atma):
- What is આત્મા - our soul, જીવ - every / any soul?
- Matter which possess the attribute of knowledge, and as a result of which they can decide what is right and wrong, aknowledges the understanding, experiences pleasure, pain, sorrow, also called the knower are આત્મા.
- આત્મા in conjunction with matter is called a સજીવ (Living being)
- આત્મા has power of knowledge, knowing, cognising (ચૈતન્ય). The associated body doesn’t possess such characteristics.
- The association (or union) of આત્મા and matter in the form of body શરિર is for a limited time (આયુશ્ય, ભવ, મનુષ્ય પર્યાય, મનુષ્ય ભવ).
- Death simply is “the union of soul and body has ended - and neither ceases to exist.” while Birth simply is “the new union of the soul and the body.”
- Soul continues to exist, and comes in contact with some other body.
- Body from where the soul has departed still continues to exist in the form of matter.
- The પર્યાય of the soul in human form or any form is NOT TRUE manifestation of the soul.
- The characteristics of the union are different from the characteristics of the soul in its pure form.
The soul in the union has the quality / ability to know, believe, and to experience. It thinks that this union is its real existence and all that all the characteristics and qualities are its own. The soul doesn’t realize that it has own SEPARATE existence and characteristics.
Due to wrong beliefs / misconceptions, its knowledge, conduct, behavior has become errorneous. This is called મિથ્યાદર્શન (false belief), મિથ્યાજ્ઞાન (false knowledge), મિથ્યાચારિત્ર (false conduct) . The soul in this form of union STILL DOESN’T loose its unique characteristics of existence.