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Rays of Dharma
is to figure out how it arose. By contemplating over it, one can make out that unhappiness has arisen out of illusory notions of happiness. Happiness does not lie in the means of comfort. When one gains them, he feels happy; but that feeling does not last and one starts feeling unhappy in spite of having the same means of comfort.
Moreover, it is no use attributing the reasons for our unhappiness to others; for that purpose one should better look within. Lord Mahaveer's life provides an illustration. When the cowboy pricked thorn-sticks in his ears, he did not blame the cowboy. In an earlier life the Lord had asked to pour molten lead in the ears of his attendant. That attendant was born as the cowboy and was inserting the sticks in his ears. The Lord patiently bore the pain, because his previous Karma was to be eradicated by that act of the cowboy.
Moreover, the illusory happiness arising from the means of comfort does not yield peace of mind and fails to provide equanimity, which is the essence of religion. If foundation is not laid on solid ground, how would it be possible to construct the palace of religion thereon? The illusory happiness is identical to borrowed happiness. There is an interesting anecdote in that connection.
A king was once pleased with his barber and presented him a. costly shawl. The barber was very proud of having it. Once a gentleman borrowed it on the occasion of his son's wedding with the stipulation that the barber would not disclose it to anyone. When the people, however, started praising the quality of the shawl, the barber could not keep his mouth shut and said, 'Don't tell anyone, but it is my shawl and I have given it to the man.' Did the respectability of the gentleman go up or actually come down?
The worldly esteem thus happens to have been based on borrowing that is not going to boost up our stature. We have to leave everything here and disappear from the stage of worldly life. Therefore, instead of looking for the worldly esteem, if we dwell deep within, we can visualize the internal treasure abiding there. That would provide us the peace of mind; our life will be purified and will 18
