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Chapter Spiritual Talks
Jain scriptures consider it undesirable to indulge in four types of talks, viz. those pertaining to the lifestyles of the ruling class, political affairs, food and women. Every man, young or old, is normally interested in talking about women. The same is the case with food; people spend a lot of time in thinking about the quality and type of food, how to make it, when to take it, etc. Similarly they remain interested in talking about the ruling class and the political affairs. Such talks have been prevailing almost everywhere.
So long as human society remains organized, we will need the governing machinery. We cannot dispense with it and that is bound to provide food for talks. The political gossip has therefore been prevailing since the ancient times and people have been wasting time therein. The question therefore arises, ‘Is it worthwhile to spend precious time of human existence in such stray talks?'
We remain virtually ignorant of the value of human life. We hardly think of our true nature and of the loss we incur by indulgence in transitory aspects. In this respect, we happen to behave like children. Even if the father is a millionaire, the child would be pleased to get a candy or a toy from someone. Similarly the average man forsakes his infinitely valuable worth and remains pleased with ephemeral happiness of the worldly life. He thus wastes his spiritual wealth for
