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DISCOURSE 6
103
medicinal powder was taken. He had read about it in a book or he might have heard it from a doctor. He went to the market and bought ten tolas (a unit of weight) of the powder. The bottle containing the powder had a label stuck to it. Misreading the instruction on the label, he consumed all the powder on the same day. In the night, there arose a terrible burning sensation in his stomach. The stomach-ache greatly increased. He went running to a doctor for consultation. Hearing what he said, the doctor laughed uproariously; and said, "Jatashankar, you must not take medicines thus as you like. You should take medicines only according to our prescriptions. Instead of taking the powder in small doses you have consumed all the powder in the bottle. You have done a good thing in coming to me at once; otherwise it would have been dangerous."
You must be able, at least, to understand what is written on the label. Even if you are able to read; you must be able to understand what is written. Jatashankar had read the label but had not understood it; he had not understood it correctly; he had understood it incorrectly. He had consumed ten tolas of the powder within a day. What was the reaction?
IF YOU DO NOT KNOW DRIVING, KEEP A CHAUFFEUR
You must read the scriptures and you must be able to understand them aright. To read them, you need a thorough knowledge of Sanskrit and Prakrit. You need the aid of those who are well-versed in the scriptures to understand them. Above all, you need a sharp and incisive intelligence; or you surrender yourself at the feet of those preceptors who live according to Dharma; who have mastered the Dharmagranthas; and carry out your spiritual activities in the manner prescribed by them, without doubting or disputing their injunctions and without any specious reasoning. Just as, if you do not know driving, you engage a chauffeur and travel to your destination, if you do not know the Dharmashastras seek the aid of those who know. If you do not know driving; and if you drive your car, you will face a calamity. Either learn driving or sit quietly in your car and repose trust in your driver. You tell me what is to be done.
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