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112
Conflict resolution
mouth begins to water. You wish to satisfy your craving, but find yourself helpless - either because of ill health or an empty pocket. Yet the desire remains and makes you restless.
This is the platform for the analysis of desires. What is a desire and what is a necessity? Without eating bread, life cannot be sustained. But what about sweets? While the desire for bread is a necessity, the desire for sweets is an indulgence. Therefore, the restlessness over sweets is unnecessary. We can protect ourselves from this sorrow by the control of desires. This is the path of austerity.
History repeatedly shows us how the greatest of emperors were not satisfied with all their possessions and spent their lives in the pursuit of desires. Rāvana had such a big harem, so many queens, each one more beautiful than the other. Yet his mind was not satisfied and he craved for Sītā. What did he find? Not Sītā, but his doom.
Another story that I like to recount from Jaina history is that of King Kūnika. The son of King Śrenika, the maternal grandson of King Ceṭaka of Vaiśāli, he was a devotee of Lord Mahavira. He employed many people and paid them well to bring news about Lord Mahavira's well being. Unless he was assured that his Lord was well, he would not partake of water or food. Such was his ardent devotion. But he had many flaws in his character. He was extremely self-indulgent, headstrong and greedy.
King Kūņika had a younger brother who owned two priceless possessions - an elephant and a necklace. Kūnika's queen, Padmavati, had an eye on the necklace and the elephant. For her, the entire kingdom was worthless without these two possessions. The king loved her and was so blinded by his love for her that he lost his sense of discrimination and duty. He asked his brother for the necklace and the elephant although it was an inappropriate demand.
How can anyone suddenly relinquish their rights over much-cherished objects? Through eons of time, only one such as Bhisma or Rāma is born, who can sacrifice their kingdoms
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