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SUFFERINGS ONLY RESULT FROM INJURY ETC.
himself. Naturally he suffers from blows, bonds and other torments, like the infatuated wild elephant tricked by a female elephant. Being infatuated he is unable to discriminate between good and evil. And he does not do anything that is right or proper. His intercourse with other women rerults in promoting hatred and enmity, and he is subjected to mutilation of the genitals, blows, bonds and confiscation of property. After death he takes a low birth and becomes despicable. Therefore it is good to desist from incontinence.
In the same manner, the man with possessions is assailed by robbers, just as the vulture with a piece of meat in its beak is attacked by other birds. He also contracts many evils in the course of his efforts to earn and safeguard wealth. Nor does he find contentment with any amount of wealth, like the fire which consumes any quantity of fuel. As he is subjugated by greed, he pays no heed to what ought to be done and what ought not to be done. After death he takes a mean birth, and he is also despised as an avaricious person. Therefore, it is good to desist from attachment to possessions. Thus the consequences of injury etc. such as calamity and reproach should be contemplated.
Other thoughts for contemplation relating to injury etc. are mentioned.
दुःखमेव वा Duḥkameva vā
(10) 10. Or sufferings only (result from injury etc.).
It should be contemplated that injury etc. are sufferings, for these are the causes of sufferings. For instance, we say that food is life, or even wealth is life, as wealth begets food, and food sustains life. So also injury etc. are the causes of karmas which produce unpleasant feelings. Sufferings are caused by these karmas. And injury etc. are figuratively referred to as sufferings, being the causes of these karmas, which in their turn bring about unpleasant feelings. That these are sufferings only is adduced by one's own experience as well as by that of others. Now, how can all these be said to be sufferings, as happiness is experienced from pleasures derived from
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