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by virtue of his Karma. One, who does not believe in rebirth, needs to account for such anomalies. If he ponders over, he also would have to admit what the theory of Karma states.
Lesson 4: Human life
You must have heard that knowledgeable persons consider the human life as topmost, but you might not be aware of the reasons for that. Let me therefore tell you something about it.
The worldly life is full of misery. The enlightened ones endeavor to cross over it. Thereby they attain liberation and stay in infinite bliss. Liberation cannot be attained in other embodiment. It is not possible to attain it in heavenly, animal or infernal life; it can be attained only in the human life.
In that case you may ask why every human being does not attain liberation. The reply is that those, who make out the significance of human life, can cross over the misery of worldly life. The learned people say that the significance of human life consists in rise of discernment that can lead to discriminating truth and false. Thereby one can realize the supreme truth and by resorting to true religion and right conduct he can attain the bliss of liberation.
They do not think that one gains the human significance merely by having a human body. They treat one as human, only if he exercises discernment. We need not treat anyone as a human being simply because he has two hands, two legs, two eyes, two ears, one mouth, two lips and one nose. If we treat it that way, we should treat even a monkey as human. It has all those limbs and in addition he has a tail too. Should we therefore treat it as superhuman? Only he, who makes out the human significance, is a human being.
The enlightened ones state that human life is very hard to be obtained. One obtains it by virtue of much wholesome Karma. As such, we should earnestly use it for wellbeing of soul. Even the young ones like Aymantkumär and Gajsukumäl attained liberation by realizing the significance of human life. A man can bring even an elephant under control by exercising his intelligence. How much benefit would he get if he brings the elephant-like mind under control?
Since true discernment does not arise in any other species, it is not possible to tread on the path of liberation except in human life. It is therefore necessary to make fruitful use of this rare human life. Some senseless people waste it by indulging in ignorance, sense objects and bad conduct; they waste the human life which is valuable like Kaustubh (Gold-yielding jewel). They are humans only for the namesake; actually they are as good as monkeys.
We do not know the time when the death would take over us. As such, we should resort to religion as soon as possible.
Lesson 5: Anäthi Muni, Part 1
Shrenik, the king of prosperous Magadh, once went to Mandikuksh Park for a horse ride. The luxuriance of the park was fascinating. There were various types of trees and young creepers spreading shade over the head; many types of birds were flying there chirping in sweet tones; it was laden with a great variety of flowers, and streams were flowing here and there. In short the Park looked like the Garden of Eden.
Shrenik noticed there a young and blessed ascetic sitting quiet under a tree. The king was pleased by his handsome look. Being charmed by his incomparable handsomeness his mind was full with admiration. He thought: 'How wonderful is his complexion! How fascinating is his look! How wonderful is his tranquility!
