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320
JAIN RAMAYAN
laughed...... became serious and then they relived many happy and unhappy sequences of the past.
"Oh king! How wonderful this human life is ! This life is like a stage. And all jivas are like actors upon it. Every man appears on the stage with deep-seated memories of his past life and inspired by the related objects he enacts his role in the drama of human life. Sometimes he laughs; sometimes he weeps; sometimes he laments over unhappy events. He eats food. He has enjoyments and amusements. He also commits violence. He practises non-violence. He takes the prop of truth or untruth and acts adapting himself to the situations. What is all this ? A mere drama...... Mere playing roles. The drama is directed by the power of Karmas. Karmas inspire all actions. Depending upon this power of karmas human beings wear various kinds of dress and decorations, acquire various forms, bodies, thoughts and feelings and they act upon the stage of life in accordance with the predestined principles. Good and evil are only different aspects of this drama. Highness and lowness, — even this is acting. Dear brother! Every lesson taught by karmas impels jivas to enact a role.
This can end only when man attains liberation from his dependance upon karmas. Only in the human state of existence can we carry out endeavours to achieve that end. Remember ! That time also has come”.
Dasarath sat upon a cot studded with gems. The dim light emerging from the lamps was playing on his face in a frolicsome manner. Janak was observing the various emotions that were appearing on his face. Endorsing Dasarath's statement Janak said, “Dear friend what you have said is true. Life is merely a drama......a long drama and we are all actors in it; moreover for ages we have been merely enacting the roles that have been predetermined.”
Later King Janak heaved a long sigh and entreating Dasarath to take rest, he too went to bed. When in the early morning he woke up he found Ram and Lakshman standing
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