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life without Conflict
life without Conflict
next life and that is what we call roonanubandha. Instead of settling the matter, people retaliate with four times the force. God tells you to give to others what vou like to receive yourself. Do not give to others what you do not like to receive. If someone tells you, 'You are a good man,' you should tell him, 'Sir, you too are a good man. If you speak in this manner, it is acceptable.
This entire worldly life is meant for settling past karmic accounts. Any situation that will create vengeance will have to be settled through your becoming a mother-in-law, a wife, a son, or even an ox. You may pay twelve hundred dollars for an ox and it may die the very next day. Endless life cycles have passed in revenge. Vengeance is the reason why you wander life after life in this world. That is why your liberation is impeded. Hindus create enmity in their own homes whereas Muslims quarrel outside of their home; they never create enmity at home. They know they cannot afford to fight with those with whom they have to share the same room with at night. The art of living is to not create enmity with anyone and to become free. That is the very reason some renounce worldly life and run away from their worldly problems. But one cannot run away from their responsibilities in this manner. From the day of birth, one's life becomes a battle, which needs to be faced. Rather than overcoming life's battles, people fall prey to the luxuries and comforts of the world.
you is an event and if you push it away, you will be the one who will have to pay for it. Therefore, when I am served food I do not like, I take at least two bites. If you do not, you will start a conflict with food itself and with the person who prepared and brought it to you. The food will say, 'What wrong have I done? I have come to you. Why are you are insulting me? Eat what you can but do not insult me.' Should you not honor the food? Someone may bring a food item that I do not like, but I honor it. Ordinarily it will not come to you but when it does, you have to respect it. This food is your own (earned in your past life) and so when you find faults with whatever is served on your plate, will that increase or decrease your happiness?
Questioner: It decrease.
Dadashri: Why deal with things in a manner that decreases your happiness? You should not conduct yourself or deal with situations in a manner that will cause your happiness to decrease. I am often served vegetables I do not like, but I eat them and I say that the vegetables were very good.
Questioner: Is that not being deceitful? When you say you like something when you actually do not, is that not pacifying the mind unnecessarily?
Dadashri: It is not unnecessarily pacifying the mind. The food will go down your throat easier if you say you like it. When you say you do not like it, you will upset the vegetables as well as the one who cooked them and your children will pick up on your behavior, even your children will assess your worthiness.
Even in my own home no one knows of my likes and
Maintain equanimity when interacting with those around you, whether it is inside or outside your home, the office, or in the public. When at home you are served food you do not like, accept it gracefully. Do not aggravate anyone. Eat whatever food is served on your plate. What is in front of
