Way of Life Part 1

Author(s): Bhadraguptasuri
Publisher: Vishvakalyan Prakashan Trust Mehsana

Page 40

THE WAY OF LIFE
(wealthy man) Shalibhadra attained the splendour of wealth but how did he attain physical and sensual delights. He got a loving father, an affectionate mother and 32 darling and loving wives. He got a healthy and absolutely beautiful body. He got perfect and strong senses. Because he attained these things, Shalibhadra could enjoy sensual pleasures plentifully.
कामिनां सर्वकामदः Dharma can give all kinds of physical and sensual delights. Dharma has this power.
How Does Dharma give those things ?
Dharma can give these splendours and the delights of the Chakravarthi. It can give the sensual delights of Baladev and Vasudev. It gave such delights in the past; it is giving them at present and it will give them in future. Only Dharma can give such delights. There is no other principle in life which can give us physical and sensual delights. The question how dharma gives wealth and sensual delights, should not be asked. Unique are the ways in which dharma gives them. We cannot understand the method by which it gives them. To understand this method we should become yogis (sages). We should become saintly men to understand it. We should possess a special kind of knowledge to understand it. Please think about this. That cowherd - boy never even imagined or dreamt that by giving the gift of Khir he would be born as the son of a Shresti, that is, an affluent person and he did not imagine that he would attain such tremendous wealth and sensual delights. He never knew that Dharma would bring such fruits. Yet he attained the fruits. Yes. If one knows and thinks about the fruit of dharma, he may not attain the fruits. The cowherd boy acted according to Dharma spontaneously without any selfish or ulterior motive, and in consequence he attained extraordinary sensual delights. He got them without seeking them. He who does not seek anything from dharma gets everything from it. Dharma bestows upon him prosperity. Dharma certainly gives something -- a little even to those who seek its fruits. Surely, it does give something.