Economics of Mahaveera

Author(s): Mahapragna Acharya
Publisher: Adarsh Sahitya Sangh

Page 25

THE CENTRAL Focus: MAN OR MONEY
on physical, mental and emotional health should be acceptable: and the article which does harm to physical, mental and emotional health is undesirable. Fridge is a means of immediate comfort. but it is injurious to physical health. It is also harmful for environment. Similarly, an air-conditioner is also harmful for health. An air-conditioned house is, no doubt, a more comfortable place, but it is harmful for health.
One industrialist fell sick. He did not become well despite the medicines prescribed by the doctor. After getting frustrated with hospitals and doctors, he ultimately went to a naturopath. The physician inquired: What do you eat? Where do you live? The patient replied to all the queries. All information was registered in the physician's mind. He advised the patient to bathe with hot water for three hours. The industrialist did accordingly. In a couple of days he started regaining health. One day when he was sitting in the hot water tub, an idea came to his mind: what foolishness is this? During the day we worked for eight to nine hours in an air-conditioned room and then took bath with hot water for three hours. He got the air-conditioner switched off and then took bath with hot water for three hours. Eventually, he got the airconditioner removed. With this, the need to sit for three hours in the hot water tub also ended.
The Undesirable Consumption To recall then, any comfort which does harm to our physical health is not desirable. Today, many articles have come in vogue, which appear comfortable but ultimately pervert the mind and produce fickleness in the mind. Facilities that are provided in recreation clubs look attractive to the mind at first but, in the long run, these go on stuffing the mind with perversions. That is why Mahavira said: put limits to your wants and avoid such comforts.
A person was asked, “Why do you drink alcohol?” “It is essential for me”, he replied.
"Why is it essential? What happens with it?". He was further queried.
"Soon after drinking it, all tension disappears”, he said.