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The Humanism of Haribhadra
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It is like someone who receives a prescription [from a doctor who] wants to give him a medicine for his ailment. But he does not accept it and so, in the end, he will really regret it:
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Also [copulation] is the root of bad dharma. It increases existence in samsara. If one does not want to die [and be reborn] one must avoid it like poisoned food!
XXI. Eight Verses on Having Recourse to a Subtle Intelligence
Men interested in dharma must always try to understand dharma with an intelligence that is subtle. Otherwise, if they do so with a [weak] moral intelligence, it will follow that it is impeded.
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"Once I received a very good prescription, but I did not at all feel ill. O, how unfortunate am I ! Woe! I have failed to achieve [the freedom from disease] I wanted so much!"
Likewise, of course, this "prescription" [of dharma] has to do with a state of being "sick". Since this is considered to be so by good men, should great souls then think that it is bad?
Even certain ordinary people, from another point of view, have seen this point, with an eye for subtle matters. For this reason they have declared as follows:
"Let the good that you have done to me ripen in your limbs ! In misfortune a man receives the fruit [of good karma] in return for what good he has done".
Thus it must be understood that a moral obstruction or dilemma always depends on one's understanding of what is inferior and superior in regard to conflicting prescriptions, etc. Also, when dealing with rules for ascetics, etc., [i.e. rules] in conflict with the principles stated in the holy texts...
[Then] it must be known that the moral dilemma depends on different kinds of substances, etc. [So, to avoid moral obstructions,] one must resort to true impartiality, paying attention to the dharma of the scriptures [with a subtle intelligence].
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