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CHAPTER-VI
267
Moreover, by observing the vows, etc., they foster injury and objects of sensual pleasures, etc. but the vows, etc. are observed for decreasing them. And people forsake eating food grains and instead eat the tuber roots. In such acts, greater injury is caused and relishment of sensual objects increases.
Further, such people do not take meal in the day time and instead take food in the night. So, in this act of taking meals in the night instead of taking food in the day, greater injury is caused and recklessness increases. And by observing the vows (fast), etc. people indulge in excessive adornment of the body, sportive acts, gambling, etc. - all these are sinful acts. But they desire that the fruit of observing vows should be obtained in the form of attainment of worldly agreeable objects and destruction of disagreeable objects; all this results in increasing passions.
Thus, believing religion to consist in the observance of vows (in above-said manner) is false religion.
Further, many people increase injury, etc. sins through adoration, etc. They foster the objects of senses by way of songs, dancing, singing and taking the desired food, etc. and other articles. They indulge in sportive acts and pass time recklessly. In such acts, they create lot of sin but do not have even a little recourse to religion and yet believe it to be religion. So, all this is false religion.
And many people produce affliction to the body and indulge in injury and passional acts. For example, they observe penance by heating their body in five types of fires. In this process, small and big living beings get burnt by fire, lot of injury is caused. How is religion possible in such acts? And some persons swing by keeping the body turned upside down; some keep the arms raised upwards. Thus, in different ways they practise the (false) religion; but anguish only is caused by such acts. These are not the parts of religious practices.
Further, some people control respiration and practise Neti-Dhoti etc. Yogic exercises. In such acts, lot of injury, etc. are caused by consumption of water, etc. If some miracle is produced then pride and other passions increase in him. Hence, in no way, such acts can be called religious acts. Thus, they involve themselves in acts causing distress, but do not bother about reducing indulgence in
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