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spent the money irrationally and squandered it in eating and drinking. A full year passed. Vipul did not become a King, and Vijan did not die.
Both friends went back to the hermit in search of an explanation. The hermit was in meditation. He said to Vipul,
Change of destiny because of the good deeds of Vijan and bad deeds of Vipul
VIPUL AND VIJAN
"Your destiny changed because of your thoughtless actions over the year. The crown that was meant to come to you was reduced to a simple pot of gold which you found in the field." Then, he said to Vijan, "Your prayers, humility, and trust in religion changed your destiny too. Death by the hands of an assassin was changed to a mere wound." The two friends returned to the village, thoughtful of their actions and the results, and the meaning of life.
Moral:
One's destiny is driven by one's karma. In turn, one's karma is governed by one's thoughts and deeds in the current as well as past lives. Knowing their fate, Vipul and Vijan changed their behavior. One changed for the worse, and the other for the better. Arrogance and materialistic indulgence led to bad karma that Impacted Vipul's future in a negative manner. Conversely, humility, prayers, and faith in the divine led to good karma which impacted Vijan's future in a positive manner. We should all strive to behave in a manner that will promote good karma in our current and future lives
42 - Questions:
1. According to the hermit, what was the future of Vipul and Vijan?
2. What did they do after learning about their future?
3. What happened at the end of the year? Did the hermit's predictions come true? Why or why not?
JAIN STORY BOOK
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