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THE PRACTICAL DHARMA
management of the estate, and enabling them to retire from active participation in the worldly concerns of life, and hoping to be similarly relieved by his juniors, in his own turn, in the fulness of time. At times he also had to provide for his destitute relations, but he never grumbled at the fruit of his labour being enjoyed by the less fit, or unearning members of his household, and always considered it his good fortune to be able to help others. Wealth had lost all its blinding glamour for him in his infancy, and he knew full well how much easier it was for a camel to pass through the needle's eye' than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven, for the cares and worries consequent on the management of riches and the sense of attachment to the things of the world have always been known to stand in the way of retirement from active life, preparatory to the adoption of the stage of homelessness which is necessary to attain nirvāņa.
We now come to the principles governing the selection of one's associates in life-the nuptial partner, friends and the like. In this department also religion enjoins subordinating the worldly or sensual point of view to the spiritual, its aim being always to facilitate the onward progress of the soul towards the highest goal-nirvāņa. Obviously, if the husband and wife belong to two different persuasions, or entertain mutually hostile heliefs, nothing like spiritual harmony can possibly result from their union; and the situation is nowise improved even when they both try to pull on together in the most commendable spirit of toleration; for toleration cannot possibly take the place of co-operation which is altogether excluded by the opposition of private convictions. It follows, therefore, that the selection of a suitable spouse must be made from one's own community, so as to ensure perfect accord and co-operation in respect of all matters, spiritual and temporal. The same principle governs the selection of all other associates, as far as practicable.
No one who has at all studied the human nature is likely to deny the fact that our beliefs are liable to be affected by the thoughts and actions of others—receiving confirmation and strength from people of one's own faith, and direct or indirect discouragement from those who follow a different creed. Now, the generality of mankind of this age seldom possess that degree of faith which is capable of withstanding persistent
