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Jaina Philosophy and Religion
this becomes his duty. On such occasions, if he fails to put forth proper efforts to remove the calamity or suffering befallen on him, then in the absence of such efforts his lethargy or inactivity is responsible for whatever misery or calamity he suffers. It is, therefore, not wise to remain idle and inactive and blame only one's past karma for one's miseries and calamities. When bodily, financial or any other calamity befalls us on account of our own actions performed in the present birth itself, we all conveniently blame our past karma in order to shirk from the responsibility. But in such cases it would be proper to blame our own known activities or behaviour on account of which we have been put into the miserable state; at the same time, we should resolve not to do such acts again in future and repent for what we did. To lose health and become weak by living careless and irregular life, by taking unwholesome and harmful food, by subjecting the body to prolonged hunger', or by not supplying the required nutritive elements to the body through food; t invite poverty by losing money in habitual gambling or speculation; to become debtor by expending more money than one's income affords, by indulging in worldly pleasures, or by submitting to harmful customs; to fail in examination by neglecting study and by indulging in sense-pleasures; to put the life of a sick man in danger by not taking him to the expert doctor for treatment and instead by taking recourse to superstitions of evil spirits and of possession of men and women by them; and to put the blame for all this on the past karma is nothing but bankruptcy of human reason. One should blame one's foolish and thoughtless behaviour or activities and should learn proper lesson from such behaviour or activities.
The working of karma is well concealed and beyond the ken of our comprehension and understanding. So it is only human effort with discretion and thought that is left in the hands of man. This effort is aimed at removing the calamity befallen on one's own self or on others, or it is aimed at achieving individual or social upliftment and progress. But when man attains the desired fruit through his efforts, he should not be elated and puffed up. And when he does not attain the desired fruit in
1. It is a different matter, if one cheerfully observes fast, a form of austerity, in order
to achieve some noble goal or if one gives up food for a certain period of time according to the advice of an expert doctor in order to cure oneself of a severe disease.
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