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DISCOURSE 9
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ness; do you not ? Then how are you a man of Dharma? In a man of Dharma these things are not present. The life of a man of Dharma is characterized by propriety. He lives according to the requirements of propriety at all times and places. Improper actions are not found in such a man's life? Is your life such ?
IT IS DIFFICULT TO LOVE VIRTUES IN OTHERS
There is another interesting and instructive episode that took place in the life of Pethad Shah, the Chief Minister of Mandavgadh. In those days, in a city called Thamravati, in Malva, there lived a gold merchant by name Bhim. He was very wealthy; and he was also a man who had a great devotion for his Gurudev, After his Gurudev passed away, he was so deeply stricken with sorrow that he renounced food and began to live a life of absolute celibacy. Once, he entertained an idea," I should honour and treat with hospitality all the celibate people of this kingdom. He sent to every celibate man, five sets of dress and one, a silk dress to be worn at the time of worshipping the Paramatma. A celibate person becomes friendly with other celibate persons. If you see in others those virtues that you adore; and if you see others performing those austerities; what do you feel? You feel happy and a feeling of devotion and adoration appears in your heart for them. Is it not so ? Search your inner self. Contemplate on your life. It is easy to become a man of virtues; but it is not easy to love virtues in others. When a celibate man desires his sons to become celibate what would he say?
From the Audience: We shall forbid it. "Celibacy is not to be practised at this young age". That is what we would say.
Maharajashri : The meaning of this is that the vow of celibacy is a noble one. The father did not practise celibacy earlier, but when in old age, he became incapable of physical enjoyments, he took the vow of celibacy. As long as he possessed the capacity for physical enjoyments, he did not take the vow of celibacy. Is it not right ? Otherwise, a celibate father would not have forbidden his children at any time to be celibate. The father who takes a vow of celibacy because he like it would not
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