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THE WAY OF LIFE
always find beautiful persons to see? Do you not see ugly people also? It is not always possible to have the happiness of seeing beautiful people because you cannot always see them. Therefore, the happiness arising form the sight of beauty is momentary. The tongue finds some tasty food. It experiences pleasure. But does the union of the tongue and sweet food continue always? Or what happens when it experiences the taste of bitterness? Therefore, the pleasure of the sense of taste is not lasting. The river of happiness does not always keep flowing; sometimes, it dries away. Similarly, the pleasure of a sweet touch is short-lived. The pleasure arising from the sense of touch continues as long as you are in contact with the loved one but you cannot have a permanent and lasting pleasure of the sense of touch with anyone. The sense of touch that was sweet yesterday may be bitter and painful today. The pleasures of this kind have no permanence.
Give a place in your life to the Nirvedasara type of neutrality. Do not become immersed in sensual pleasures. Even after enjoying some essential pleasures, do not get lost in them. Did not such an affluent man as Shalibhadra, the son of a wealthy merchant, renounce easily, the pleasures of his fabulous wealth, of the company of thirty two beautiful wives ? He attained exalted sensual pleasures; yet he renounced them and adopted the attitude of neutrality towards them. After one realizes the worthlessness and transcience of sensual pleasures, it will be easy to renounce the pleasures of an emperor's life. When one experiences worth and permanence in pleasures it would be impossible for a beggar to discard, even the begging bowl.
THE FOURTH KIND OF NEUTRALITY OR APATHY
The fourth kind of neutrality is called Tatvasara. The great acharya Haribhadrasoori has described four kinds of neutrality in his grantha, Shodashak. He has discussed them in such a beautiful and psychological manner that even the great psychologists of today may be amazed. Shodashak is a work of astounding excellence. This grantha can provide excellent guidance to people to understand the Jain Dharma and to proceed on the path of spiritual endeavour and progress. You people
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