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KARMA PHILOSOPHY
109
All these rules are, as before said, based on daya, i. e., doing good to and not causing injury to other living beings. Therefore the business must not be that of a butcher, brewer, [in fermentation there is infinite destruction of life), wine merchant, gun maker, or any business which involves or necessitates the wholesale destruction of life, whether animal or man, fish, bird, or insect.
The reason why it is necessary for such a layman to undertake some business (a layman who wishes to make spiritual progress) is because by so doing he can provide himself with means (a) to maintain himself and anyone dependent upon him, and with means to (b) help those who are in dis. tress. A layman cagnot help much by teaching, that is to say spiritual help. By helping people in distress he removes bad karmas and generates good ones. Also (c) with means to perform his dharma without too much difficulty and obstacle.
The reasons why he should do his business or profession in a fair and just way are (a) because it is only money earned in a fair way that can be beneficial. If earned unfairly or dishonestly, then, while enjoying it or using it, there is all the time a kind of fear controlling the mind, lest the dishonesty be discovered. There is a consciousness of risk, or daoger, not only from the police and government, but also from the ger eral public. And when the
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