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THE WAY OF LIFE
and perturbed. Her mind was overwhelmed with that house, bright with lights, that parlour, that woman, those five men, their colourful and variegated gestures and actions and their passionate utterances. Outwardly, she seemed to be absorbed in a severe penance. The Sadhvi who was performing the Kayotsarg meditation in a cemetery was lost in a different kind of meditation.
The Sadhvi broke the rules and prescriptions regarding the austerity she had gone there to perform. She broke the Jin's commandments. A Sadhvi should not have gone alone to the cemetery in the night; but she went alone to a cemetery in the night. She broke the command of the Jin, She transgressed the limits prescribed. What was the consequence of this? In her heart, the craving for mundane life and its enjoyments became intense. She thought, “Let me attain the enjoyment of the company of five men in my next life, by virtue of my austerities." She made a bargain with her austerities. She had auctioned away her extraordinary austerities which could have destroyed her sins and Karmas. They were completely exhausted in giving her the despicable delights of the dreary mundane life.
Why did it happen thus ? Why did she fall morally? The Sadhvi was completely defeated and thrown down by temptation. One cannot attain one's objectives in spiritual endeavours unless one has conquered fear and temptation. The enlightened people have described the method of proceeding on the path of Moksha; they have prescribed some rules and principles regarding spiritual austerities; and they have prescribed some methods. They have done this only with the purpose of preventing Sadhaks from falling into the morass of fear and temptation. We have to think about this deeply. We should not either dislike or neglect the prescriptions and principles. We should not treat them with contempt. My auspicious wishes for you are that you may bear in my mind the commandments of the Jin; that you may proceed on the path prescribed by the enlightened people; and that you may carry out your spiritual endeavours for spiritual elevation unimpeded and unperturbed.
This is enough for to-day.
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