________________
Religion in everyday life
127
away from non-violence and non-vegetarianism. The aim was to grow fruits and vegetables so that we could work towards a purer and more pious way of life. This is why Jaina culture advocates agricultural activity as an arya karma, a noble activity which does not infringe severely on the vow of non-violence.
Once, an aspirant posed a question that if the source of wealth is justified, why is wealth still considered undesirable?
I answered in keeping with our religious tradition that there are two sources of wealth. One acquires wealth, success and a good birth on account of auspiscious karmas. But based on one's religious or irreligious impulses, this wealth will either lead to the path of virtue or the path of vice. If his religious practices are good, he will move from a good birth to a better one. On the contrary, if he indulges in irreligious activities, he will move from a good birth to a bad one.
In both the instances, the wealth is acquired from a meritorious source, but while one leads to the path of sublime happiness and success (punyānubandhī punya), the other leads to failure and frustration (pāpānubandhī punya). When wealth arises from the former source, it gives rise to positive impulses in the mind of the recipient. His feelings and thoughts become pure, he spends his money for the welfare of humanity, he looks for opportunities to make positive use of his wealth and when the opportunity arises, he feeds the hungry and clothes the naked. Such actions fill him with peace. Before giving, while giving and after giving he feels great joy throughout. Grudge, regret and repentance do not touch him ever.
Such wealth that has come from the right source will later give rise to further merits. This is that crop which will never fall short, for it has been sown in the fields of merit and will harvest further merit.
Such a fortunate punyānubandhi person moves from joy to joy, ecstasy to ecstasy, and thus traversing the journey of life in such a befitting manner, reaches the abode of liberation.
Pāpānubandhi punya has the opposite effect. Before he
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
