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464
Mahapuraanam
I consider the impermanence in enjoyment, lifespan, time and wealth as a kind of virtue, because if all these were permanent, how could liberation be attained? And without liberation, how could happiness be attained? || 204 || First, they generate faith and later they steal life and wealth, these objects, like enemies, bring misfortune to whomsoever they touch. || 205 || The happiness that comes from these objects is just the greatness of suffering, because the bitter gourd that tastes sweet is just the effect of hunger. || 206 || This being, satisfied with the happiness of thoughts, is alienated from the real happiness born of the soul, therefore, this being is like a monkey satisfied with the warmth of the embers. Meaning - Just as the warmth of the embers does not remove the cold of the monkey, in the same way, these imagined worldly pleasures do not remove the suffering of beings. || 207 || This being always has a state of non-attachment, but without the absence of bondage, it cannot be the cause of liberation. The absence of bondage can be achieved by destroying the causes of bondage, therefore, I strive to destroy the causes of bondage. || 208 || In this ocean of existence, those who are caught by the demons of attachment, how can they attain liberation? How can they live? Where can they find happiness and where can they develop wisdom? || 209 || Even knowing the impermanence, wise people doubt, "Is this being worthy or unworthy?" after being put to sleep by the arrows of Lakshmi's glance. || 210 || This body, like a tree, surrounded by a group of vines in the form of women, will become old in the forest of existence and will be consumed by the fire of time. || 211 || If I have received such happiness from a fraction of Dharma, which is contaminated by the poison of the cause, then what happiness will I receive by immersing myself in the ocean of Dharma, which is like nectar? || 212 ||
|| 203 ||
** False belief, non-restraint, carelessness, passions and karma are the causes of bondage. **