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Book Name: From Unconciousness to ConsciousnessPrevious     Next
 

woman has proved it, and one woman's proof is enough for all women. But the cunning priesthood changed the name when she died. They not only changed her name, they changed the statue. It is a man's statue in the temples; in Jaina temples there are twenty-four tirthankaras' statues -- all men!

I used to go to Jaina temples and ask, "Who is Mallibhai?"

And the priest would become shaky and he would say, "Er... Mallibhai? Are you a Jaina?"

I said, "No, I am not a Jaina. But I am not a male chauvinist. Who is Mallibhai out of these twenty-four?" And he would show me.

But I would say, "This is a man's statue. The sexual organs are hanging out and I am absolutely certain there was no plastic surgery at that time."

Soon they became aware, so whenever I would go to a Jaina temple they would say, "The temple is closed. You are not allowed in the temple."

In Indore, in India, there is one of the most beautiful Jaina temples, perhaps the most beautiful in India. It is made all of glass -- the whole temple. When you enter it you see yourself reflected in a million mirrors around you, because the whole temple is just small pieces of mirror. I love the place for its beautiful land, its quiet -- but they would not allow me to enter. Once I had been in, then the door was closed on me.

I approached the man who had made the temple and said, "This is strange. You allow even spectators who are not Jainas, you allow visitors; Christians can come, anybody can come in the visiting hours" -- because the temple was such a unique piece of art, up to twelve in the morning only Jainas could enter it to worship, but after twelve visitors were allowed -- "I am not even allowed in with the visitors. The moment the priest -- and he is always standing at the door -- the moment he sees me, he says, 'You are not allowed.'" I asked the man who had made it... and it was a very precious gift that he had given to the country.

He told me, "I know, and I myself wanted to meet you. The priest has informed me." And it happened because for six months I had to stay in Indore, because my father was very sick and he would not let me go. So I had to stay

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