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THE WAY OF LIFE
austerity called Paushadh vrat and when on that night, he was sitting in solitude in a room, in his mansion, absorbed in deep meditation, thieves entered his mansion. All the wealth of Suvrat was in the mansion. In those days, there were no banks and there were no safe-deposit vaults. Wealthy people used to keep all their wealth in their mansions. Some used to bury their wealth underground and some used to keep it in their safes. Some concealed their wealth in the walls and some concealed their wealth in the roofs of their houses.
All had slept in the mansion. Suvrat Shresthi stood in deep meditation. The thieves gathered all the valuables and money and made bundles of them. When Suvrat's meditation was over, he became aware of what was happening. But he did not make any attempt to prevent them from what they were doing. He was performing Paushadh vrat and he had taken a vow not to engage himself in any worldly activity. His heart was so detached that he did not even think thus, "These thieves are taking away my wealth worth crores and what will happen to me?". This thought did not occur to him. He thought, "Nobody can take away what really belongs to me. And if somebody carries away what does not really belong to me how am I affected by it? I am in the possession of three gems namely; right knowledge, right vision and right conduct. Imperishable virtues are my wealth. Nobody can steal these things. This materialistic wealth does not belong to me, Why should I worry about it ?".
WHAT WAS THERE IN SUVRAT SETH?
"What did he think though he possessed eleven crore gold coins? Can you understand it? What attitude did he have towards wealth and worldly prosperity? Did he have any attachment for them? Was there any avarice in him? He was sitting on the mountain of wealth but he had no attachment for the mountain? What would he have done if he had attachments? He would have broken his vow of Paushadh. He would have cried for help. He would have sent for the police. He would have screamed aloud. He would have got the thieves punished but Suvrat did not get angry with the thieves; and
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