Acharya Tulsi
Knowledge can be classified into three types- Sukhadhigam (that can be easily acquired), Anadhigam (that cannot be acquired), and Duradhigam (that can be difficult to acquire). Knowledge that is acquired does not give birth to doubt. Knowledge that is not perceived, there, too has no scope for doubt. Knowledge that is acquired after surmounting difficulties becomes a matter of doubt. Doubt is an enemy of Samadhi (contemplation). As long as man remains a sceptic towards his object of knowledge, he does not experience the fruit of Samadhi. Bhagwan Mahaveer experienced this very truth. He gave expression to his experience in the following words—वितिगिच्छसमावन्नेनं अप्पणेणं णो लभति समाधिं—a sceptical mind cannot attain state of contemplation.
Whatever may be the job, if undertaken in a sceptical state of mind, success will remain uncertain. The first sign of one's success is his unflinching self-esteem. A man dwindling between the two horns of dilemma neither can concentrate on his duty nor can be hopeful for its result.
An ancient anecdote runs thus: There lived two Sarthwaha sons in the city of Champapuri. They were great friends. Once they had an occasion to go to Malukakachha. There they saw two eggs of a Peahen. They took with them one egg each. There were hen's eggs at their homes. They kept the eggs they carried with those eggs. They thought that along with the hen's eggs the Peahen's eggs would also be hatched. Thus, they would be getting two peacocks for their sport.
One of the friends would visit the egg every morning. He was doubtful whether the egg would give birth to a peacock. To be sure he would touch and examine the egg every morning. This made the egg sterile. No issue came out of that egg.
The other friend had no doubt about the eggs. He believed that the egg would be hatched with a peacock. He would come to see the egg, and after a look would return. In due course, the egg was hatched. A beautiful issue of peacock came out of the egg. He took the baby to his house. He reared it carefully and taught it how to dance. The young peacock became a good companion of the Sarthwaha son.
Self-confidence is the right path to success. This is not a truth that only scriptures supported it but is seconded by experience as well. I have realized this truth in my life. This is why my self-confidence is getting stronger day-by-day.
Some believe that there are hurdles between a beginning and its completion. I differ from that. If we could see objectively, we would find that every moment the job is getting completed. If at the beginning a job is not completed how can it get completed at the end?
Theoretically, at the auspicious moment the process of Nirjara begins. Nirjara has a bond with pumya. The partial brightness of Atma that occurs with virtue and the bond of Puny a, though, are not subjects of direct experience, it is certain that virtue's success is destined. The non-appearance of result in practical sense and to doubt thereon is a sign of weak self-confidence.
The people working in the field of science have wonderful self-confidence and patience. For completion of one single invention, they dedicate whole of their life and still do not lose faith. The scientists having weak self-confidence get disheartened if one of their works is not positively evaluated. Then back with the walIs, they even end their lives. Such unwanted incidents cause heavy loss to the country.
In all the areas i.e. political, social and religious, development of human being has been shaky. In the absence of faith, enthusiasm to work gets diminished and a growing sense of inertia prevails. Inertia is opposite to motion. It makes a nation crippled. It may be an individual or a society, if crippled, it shall have to depend on crutches for making a move. To drive out the sense of diffidence in ourselves and remove air, we have to invent the crutches of self-confidence.
Immorality is growing and it is a cause of great concern. The absence of faith in moral values is perhaps the greatest cause of concern. In order to remind those values to the public some brief notes were penned. The present volume is a collection of those notes. If even a small number of people could reaffirm their faith in moral values, time put to this work shall be considered rewarded.
Ganadhipati Tulsi
Jain Viswa Bharati
Ladnu (Rajasthan)
16th May, 1992
