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On the Anvil of Experience
should have at least one of them; the true life begins from that time. The merchant in the last chapter said that he was 10 years old because he had gained that state only 10 years before. The same way he said that he had Rs. 50,000, because he had spent that much amount for wholesome purposes.
Whatever one does should therefore be done with true inclination. What we spend should yield pleasure. We should be able to treat it as sowing of seeds. If seeds are good, one can expect to reap a bumper crop. During our various lives we have mostly accumulated like ants; for that purpose we have also resorted to sinful activities and acquired misery and pain. We need to bear in mind that what we accumulate in this life has to be left here; it is therefore the time to spend for good causes.
One more question that was put to the merchant was, 'How many sons do you have?' He knew that one who takes care and serves the parents in their old age, and who recites the name of the Lord in their ears at the last moment, is the true son. Those who merely hanker after the property of parents, are no good. Even if the parents have no property, a true son would hold the sense of obligation for them and carry out their last wishes. Since the merchant was not sure of it about his sons, he said that he did not know how many sons he had. He was thus Jnänvruddha as well as Vayovruddha. We need to follow such old ones.
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