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DISCOURSE 77
will not agree to your spending money on noble and philanthropic enterprises. Though your wealth may be lying in your iron-safe, you cannot bring yourself to spend it. It is not an easy thing to discard your attachment for wealth.
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When ignorant people get more than the limit prescribed by the vow, they give it to their wives, children, and parents. But the attachment for wealth remains as strong as ever.
The vow of the parigrah pariman vrat is to be taken in order to limit the attachment for wealth. The vow is undertaken to prevent the sinful monster of attachment from catching the Jiva in its dreadful claws.
The Gurudev Dharmaghoshsooriji using his foresight made Pethad Shah undertake the Parigrah pariman vrat limiting his attachment to five lakh rupees. The character of the person undertaking the vow and the character of the person giving the vow are to be reckoned with. Only a person who has attained spiritual excellence and enlightenment can give the vow; and only a person possessing a special kind of knowledge can administer the vow. The age, the circumstances, the fortune (future prospects) and the mental strength of the person who undertakes the vow also should be reckoned with.
THE VOW SHOULD BE CARRIED OUT WITH A FIRM MIND
Just because the vows and the rules relating to the vows are administered to a person, he does not attain welfare. He can attain spiritual welfare only when he carries out the vow with an unflinching determination. Even here, one should think deeply before administering to anyone a sacred vow for his whole life.
The person administering the vow should think of this point seriously. To what extent can the present day people who lack a firm determination, succeed in carrying out the vow? He must also think to what extent it is proper to administer such a great vow to people who are slaves of circumstances. It is absolutely necessary to think of this point. He must also see
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