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Introduction
with him. Such aspirants therefore need to secure the advice of the knowledgeable ones about the right literature. It will enable them to pursue spiritual development in absence of true Guru.
રોકે જીવ સ્વચ્છેદ તો, પામે અવશ્ય મોક્ષ; પામ્યા એમ અનંત છે, ભાખ્યું જિન નિર્દોષ.
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Roke Jiv Swachchhand To, Päme Avashya Moksha; Pämyä Em Anant Chhe, Bhäkhyun Jin Nirdosh.
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One, who restrains self-indulgence, surely attains liberation. The flawless omniscient Lords have stated that innumerable souls have attained it that way. (15)
Explanation & Discussion: Why has the worldly soul not attained liberation? There could, of course, be many reasons, but the most important one is self-indulgence. It is not that the soul would have never tried to learn about liberation. During the innumerable births that it has taken, it must have been oriented towards its well being on several occasions and might even have tried for the same. But whatever it might have understood and done for the purpose must have been according to its own viewpoint. That amounts to self-indulgence. The root cause of self-indulgence is ego or false pride. It is not possible for one to get rid of his own self-indulgence, because his ego and pride do not allow him to see his own faults.
It has to be borne in mind that the soul has been indulging in worldly life since the time immemorial. It has never learnt the truth and therefore did not come across the path of liberation. As such, if one tries to seek liberation on his own, how is he going to make out the right path?
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