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Bhagawan Mahavir ]
( 265
and can never be disburdened of their debt, until and unless they have cleared their account to the last pie. They cannot live in peace until they have paid their debt whether it be today, or tomorrow, or at any future date. In his prosperity and youthfulness, man blindly perpetrates many evil deeds and commits various kinds of sins without pausing for a single moment to ponder over their consequences. The first consideration with him is to satisfy his present desires at any cost. IIe acts according to his will and cares.for nothing. But we must remember that the karmas are all powerful, and nobody should expect from them a relaxation in his punishment. In other words, the existence of such thing as * pardon' is unknown to them. All are equal under the Law of Nature and all are free to live and act as they like, provided that they do not break the Law. If, on the contrary, the Law of Nature is broken, the severest punishment is inflicted upon the culprit. To oppress the weak and to take the life of the poor, through the vanity of power and strength, is simply to break the Law of Nature. If, therefore, we try to rebel against the authority of Nature, we must also be prepared for the worst. Whether we are possessed of the power of diving into the bottom of a deep ocean or climbing on the peak of the highest Mountain, whether we are world-conquerors or are versed in all the arts and sciences of the world, whether we can fly into the sky like a bird, or do anything wonderful by means of magic, we cannot escape the punishment to be inflicted on us by Nature for our misconduct; we get it one day or the other. It is therefore highly desirable that we must always have this motto before our minds' eye that "there is no escaping from tne consequences of the deeds done” and then act very cautiously.
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