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THE WAY OF LIFE
that you are constantly harassed by many kinds of fear. You can see the fires of hatred burning on all sides. You will find that your heart is full of sorrow and degeneration. That is why, enlightened people say that you should cast away all your desires for sensual pleasures. The desires for other objects causes the greatest sorrow. This is a great truth and you must think of it seriously.
FEAR; HATRED AND SORROW
What happens when you do a deed of charity? Do you feel happy or do you get angry? In case you have to give some charity how much would you give? Would you give less or more? Do you have the fear that if you give away more you will have nothing left and that you will be helpless? This fear you have in your mind; that is why, though you have much, you give away less. In the event of a person doing a deed of charity, if the giver of the charity does not give it willingly, what happens ? Others would get angry with such a person. Others would hate him. Others would think thus, "See, that great philanthropist ! that man of magnanimity. He has a great name for charity but what he gives is absolutely paltry and petty", Do not people think so ? Imagine that you get what you desire by way of charity and that you get a lot of money as a gift. When you get so much money, you begin to fear the members of your family. You fear that if the members of your family come to know that you have got so much money, they may worry you. Therefore you would not tell them the truth. What is this? It is fear.
In the same manner, if a necessity arises for the performance of some spiritual austerity what will happen? Would you experience exhilaration or frustration? When you happen to help somebody, what would you think? Would you experience exhilaration or sorrow? Whatever may be the spiritual austerity you perform and in that situation, if you have to make some sacrifice, you must be free from fear, hatred and sorrow; otherwise, you will not experience happiness by the performance of that austerity. :
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