________________
SHRUTSAGAR
May-2019 live; and does not live to eat. Eating food to satisfy hunger is necessary though harmful to the soul; but eating voraciously to enjoy the taste of food is not only meaningless but harmful to the soul. The latter causes greater sin.
We worry and trouble others; and others keep worrying and troubling us. In this manner, situations arise in life which compel us to commit sins. The fruit of merit or a noble action is happiness. The fruit of sin is sorrow. Though people know this, they do not refrain from committing sins. Thousands of years ago, the great sage and poet, Bhagavan Vyasa wrote;
पुण्यस्य फलमिच्छन्ति पुण्यं नेच्छन्ति मानवाः । पापस्य फलं नेच्छन्ति पापं कुर्वन्ति यत्नतः ॥ Punyasya Phalamichchanti punyam nechanti manavah Papasya Phalam nechchanti Papam kurvanti yatnatah
People desire the fruit of merit but do not desire to acquire merit or to do any noble action. As opposed to this, people do not desire the fruit of sin but they deliberately and with effort commit sin. The words of the great sage are true even today. Until now, man's nature has not undergone any change.
If a piece of iron is covered with mud, it will not become gold even if it is touched by parasmani or the philosopher's stone. In the same manner as long as the soul is covered with ignorance and passions the noble precepts of the preceptor will not have any effect on it. If man attains self-realization or if man understands the true nature of his soul he can become a great man. Man requires a strong determination to realize the nature of his soul.
(continue...)
