________________
like rudderless ships tossed by the waves and gored by the sharp rocks. They needed guidance, some beacon that would lead them back home again, to themselves.
"Friends," he said in a voice vibrating with feeling, "Friends, you resort to all these things because you have not tried to understand the meaning of life. We have all come into this world for freedom, not for stagnation; for evolution, certainly not for ruination. This freedom, this evolution, can only be possible through achieving equanimity of the mind. With hatred and criticism in your hearts, you are stuck where you are, binding yourselves in a negative way to those for whom you have no respect. You are living your lives only in reaction to their way which you have rejected. Where is there any clear thinking here? Where is there some strength of purpose, some values?
"How long can you rely on your L.S.D.? The trips you take are just trips, brief by their very nature. The voyage of life is a serious business. It is for keeps. It is an eternal journey. Only the inner light of understanding can pilot you to your destination. We are not here for temporary pleasure. There is something beautiful, something permanent awaiting us. Escapism is useless; it is negative; it takes you away from your reality. Instead of running away and despising the world, go into yourselves and contemplate seriously, 'Why have I come into the world?' and 'Who am I?' If you embark on this quest, you will never again be bored, disillusioned, or lonely. You will drop your anger without the aid of drugs. You must come out from this circle of action and reaction. Then you will see what you are. When you realize that you are more than what you have so far experienced, you will attain a calmness and compassion that will lift you. From that height, you will be able to understand the pain and misery of those whom you now see as hypocrites and exploiters. You will be in a position to help them and inspire them rather than simply hate them.
“I like your honesty. Now use that honesty to find out truly what is at the honest core of yourselves, the heart of life itself.”
The young people surrounded him, wanting to know more. They asked him to spend at least a few weeks with them. But Gurudev could not stay. He told them to use what
275
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
