Sannyasa Dharma

Author(s): Champat Rai Jain
Publisher: Champat Rai Jain

Page 62

SANNYASA DHARMA
the destroyer of all the four ideals, dharma, artha, kāmu, and molsha. Reflecting thus, the saint should always be ready and willing to forgive. If any. one reviles him he should meditate thus : This person is really a well-wisher of mine ; for he who calls my attention to my short-comings gives me an opportunity of perfecting myself ; it may be that he does so out of spite, but why should I trouble myself with his mo. tive. He is in reality a friend in the garb of an enemy; and I must treat him as such ; for I, who aspire to become perfect, will never become so unless I exert myself in eradicating my faults. [ really ought to say to my Self: Holy One! forgive him ; for he knows not what he is doing! Wherefore I must and shall bless him, although he do nothing but plan and plot for my ruin aud abuse me all his life through.
If he is abused maliciously, and the faults attributed to him are not in him, then the saint should treat the reviler as a child. Children sometimes say and do things which are provoking ; but no one ever gets angry with them. In reality, pruise and abuse proceed not from any man, but from the fruition of past karmas. “If I bear this with equanimity, with an unruffled mind, the avil karma, which is my own work, will soon be worked off. In any case it does not become me to depart from my high ideal and to como down to a bad man's level.” Anger and resentment will undo years of merit in asceticism in the twinkling of an eye. No true saint will be willing to throw away
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