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PHILOSOPHY OF SOUL
many stratagems and as a result Bindusara lost affinity for Chanakya. Chanakya realised the situation and took up fasting to death having made proper arrangements of his property. Before ending his life he prepared a box and kept it in a big 'Safe'.
When Chanakya died, Subandhu asked for residence, Chanakya's house and he was granted the very house. Now Subandhu started living in Chanakya's house and he looked into all the belongings of late Chanakya. He then found the box lieing in the 'Safe'. Opening the box he found something extremely fragrant and a letter. The letter read as follows “One who smells the fragrant box should abandon for life, contact of women, ornament, sleeping on a couch and tasteful eatables. He should live hard life or else he shall be destroyed".
Subandhu in order to verify the contents of the letter caught hold of a man, fed him eatables, wrapped him with fine clothes decorated him with ornaments and made him sleep on a couch. The man died on the spot and Subandhu was convinced of the veracity of the contents of the letter. Therefore, Subandhu refrained himself from all the sweet eatables, fine clothes, contact of women and sleeping on a couch in order to protect his life. He realised that Chanakya thereby indirectly took revenge with him. Such renunciation unvoluntarily undertaken is not proper. That renunciation or abstinence undertaken voluntarily is considered rightful or proper.
PASSIONS
Anger, pride, deceit and greed are called four passions. When soul is actuated with these passions it is called "passionate" or "overpowered with passions". Let us know what "Kashaya" (passion) means. 'Kasha' means the 'world' and 'AYA' means ‘gain'. That is Kashāya or passion which multiplies worldly existences. “Kashaya" also means that, which pollutes the basic nature of Soul. Thus Kashayas or passions pollute the soul, to defile the Soul.
Suppose you are clad in clean white clothes to participate in a festival and suddenly some one discharges muddy or filthy water on you, how would you feel ? You are angry and you quarrel with the man and even try to slap him. When you are so much scru