What would you choose: Temporary worldly pleasures or Eternal Internal Bliss, which, in the language of Tasting the Mango 2 Young Jains International Convention 2004, is Infinite, Eternal, Abundant Bliss?

A review of Pujya Minalben’s speech at Young Jains International Convention 2004 - Tasting The Mango 2.

Pujya Minalben began with this very simple yet powerful question. Dressed in white and radiating energy and joy, she went on to inspire many of the delegates during her address.

In our search for permanence in life, we often rely on empty promises such as: “You will always be my best friend.” Realising that worldly pleasure is temporary while eternal bliss is possible, we should surely opt for Eternal, Internal Bliss, noting that:

• This bliss is within us and so we need not search for it outside.
• It is only in a human form, that we can experience this bliss. Luckily for us, we have already been born in this human form.

Pujya Minalben shared an insight from Bhagwan Mahavira’s last sermon, as conveyed in the Uttaradhyayan Sutra. Bhagwan told us of the difficulty of four things:

• Manushya Janma - Birth in a human form
• Shruti - Listening to religious texts
• Dharma ma Shraddha - Faith in religion
• Strength to follow Dharma and the energy (Virya) to practice self-control (Sanyam)

We all have the great fortune (Punya) to be born in human form. However, we do not realise the tremendous effort we have made in past lives to attain it. This is because we cannot see into our past lives. To understand this, consider the hard-won earnings of our parents. We spend it all easily, as we have not experienced the work behind it.

'It is said that our Atma has spent an eternity in Nigod, born over and over...'

Pujya Minalben then related what the scriptures tell us about our past lives. It is said that our Atma has spent an eternity in Nigod, born over and over clustered together with many other microscopic life-forms with
only the sense of touch. Spiritually, this is heart-breaking. When one Atma attains Moksha or Nirvana,
then it is said that another Atma leaves Nigod. From this the Atma progresses from single-sensed beings to plant and animal forms with an increasing number of
senses and finally to the state of human birth with 5 senses and a mind. Pujya Minalben reminded us, if we ever went to the zoo, to consider that we too had once been in those HELPLESS states too, unable to do anything to free ourselves from of the cycle of life and death!

‘…From this the Atma progresses from single-sensed beings to plant and animal forms with an increased number of senses and finally to the state of human birth with five senses and a mind.’

Rather than being disheartened, we should rejoice and ACT NOW: we have all the amenities and facilities now to realise our true selves and then liberate our souls! The human form is said to be highest form as, in it, all the tools for spiritual effort are present.

Heartened, we can now consider the human body. Is it merely an integration of flesh and bone? NO. It is the abode of our Soul! Our Soul has potentially: Anant Darshan – Perfect Perception; Anant Gnan – Perfect Knowledge; Anant Virya – Perfect Energy; Anant Sukha – Perfect Bliss

The body is a temple in which Bhagwan ATMA resides. Bhagwan Mahavir said: “O Man! Awake! Don’t you understand that it is very difficult to obtain RIGHT KNOWLEDGE after death, in the next birth?” Pujya Minalben jokingly asked why this did not refer to women too, and then reiterated that the path is open to all. Shrimad Rajchandra, who lived 100 years ago, attained Self-Realisation (Samyag Darshan) and who greatly influenced Gandhiji, said: “It is only now in this body and form that we can achieve our TRUE SELF / OUR ATMA.”

Only in this very important human form - not plant, animal, hellish nor heavenly forms - do we attain Nirvana or Moksha. There is something that makes our body walk and talk. Once this Atma leaves, the eyes cannot see, and we feel neither the chill of ice, nor the heat of a funeral pyre! We have forgotten our true self, Bhagwan ATMA, and mistakenly identified with every form we have entered. We have forgotten Atma, the essence of life itself.

This human life is a golden opportunity to experience and realise our True Self. It is NOW or NEVER. BUT HOW? We must turn to God: Satdev–Satdharma–Satguru.

• Satdev – Lord Mahavira – the last Tirthankar of our times;
• Satdharma - we take complete shelter in the religion professed by HIM with true faith and devotion;
• Satguru – Then we turn to SATGURU. The best and most powerful healer is the TRUE GURU who works through our immune system in miraculous ways.

We must thus search for a True Guru who is the embodiment of bliss, who will guide us with experience. We all understand the need for a teacher. Even if we read a textbook, we need someone who knows the subject to help us understand the more detailed meaning. In the same way, when it comes to ATMA, we must turn to someone who knows ATMA, who has realised his Soul, Bhagwan Atma, and is thus a Living God. We seek solace in him and he can show us our faults and guide us how to remove these faults, and to our final direction, if we surrender ourselves unconditionally. His Soul will thus light up our lives too!!

Scriptures say, by having a human body, we are half way there, and so should follow Lord Mahavir: “A person should properly practice religion before old age inflicts us diseases become chronic, the senses become powerless,” and: “Just as the withered leaf of a tree falls down after some nights go by. Similarly the life of a man comes to an end.” This human body is not immortal and so we must ACT NOW!

‘Scriptures say, by having a human body, we are half way there…’

Lord Mahavir warns even an ardent, capable and knowledgeable devotee, such as GAUTAMSWAMI, not to waste a single moment. “A drop of dew remains suspended on the top of a blade of grass just for a moment. Human life is also like that. So we should not be careless even for a moment.” Pujya Minalben gave a number of examples from the scriptures on the rarity of human birth. She asked us simply: “This is a real awakening for us, isn’t it?”
She then explained difference between being born human and true humanity, Manushyatva. We must strive to attain the qualities of serenity, gentle sensitivity, humility, and compassion. For a peaceful life, we need a True Guru and a good character. Only through purifying our lives, can we hear the truth (Shruti) from our Guru and the scriptures. Repeatedly hearing this Truth gives us True Faith, Samyaktva, the very basis of Jainism. That faith leads us to and gives us the energy to follow the Dharma, and practice self-control. We will thus have all four things which Mahavira Bhagwan described as difficult. Pujya Minalben stated: “One who knows the fives senses, knows the world: one who overcomes the senses, will attain internal eternal bliss.”

“Meditation is the missing link between Mithyatva and Samyag Darshan”

Pujya Minalben later added: “Meditation is the missing link between Mithyatva and Samyag Darshan.” A True Guru helps us overcome our Rag and Dvesh, our Kashays, preparing the soil of the mind before planting. Mind and body become fertile by cultivating Upsham (calmness) and Vairagya (detachment) and contemplating the Bhavnas. Meditation is the Beej (Seed) Mantra taught by the True Guru, a method that gives divine eyes: Divya chakshu! Usually our eyes look out, but when we close our eyes, using the method that the Guru has given, we look inside for our soul.

Meditation induces detachment from name and form, making us aware of the changing nature of the body and all around. We forget the past and future, concentrating on the “I am,” the eternal now. The Atma’s function is to always know (Gnan). When the mind is concentrated, far from concepts of “my car, my family” and so on, we are closer to Atma. Deep within is this experience of abundant eternal infinite bliss, which we all must strive to attain.

Pujya Minalben told the delegates that she had really enjoyed the convention and that, instead of thanks and appreciation, she wanted us to make a change in our lives, to make this human life meaningful by the pursuit of self-realisation: to ACT NOW!

This is an abridged version of an article first printed in the Young Jains Newsletter in October 2004 reviewing the TTM2 convention in September 2004.

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