________________
396
THE WAY OF LIFE
kind of neutrality is the fire-brigade by means of which you can extinguish the fires of attachments and hatred. It is enough if you understand this truth. No substance or object in this samsar is in itself good or bad. That they are pleasant or unpleasant, sweet or bitter is our own imagination. It is from this imagination or thought that the thoughts of happiness or sorrow arise.
I will try to explain this point by means of an illustration. Let us suppose that you are living in a small house which does not have many comforts and amenities, and you do not like it. In that case, you will think thus. “It would be very good if I could secure a house which has all comforts and amenities; it would be very good if I could get a decent house ... but a lot of money is necessary to secure such a house and I do not have so much money”. You do not like the house you have in your possession but you like a house which has all comforts and amenities but which is beyond your reach. What is this? That a house is decent or not is your own mental creation. If a house could be bad in itself all should dislike it. But this is not the case. The house which you consider good is considered bad by some other people. The house which you consider bad, is considered good by some other people,
One man's food is another man's poison. 'The food that you like is disliked by others. You may like a certain vegetable like the "Lady's fingers" but your brother may dislike it. You may like a certain sweet like Rasagulla very much but your wife may not like it. What is this? If a certain vegetable is bad in itself all should have disliked it. If Rasagulla was good in itself all should have liked it. But this is not the case because substances and objects have their nature immutably fixed. The jivatma keeps thinking or imagining that they are pleasant or unpleasant, sweet or bitter. These mental creations or conceptions are caused by attachments and hatred and the mental creations bring about happiness or sorrow. Therefore, I exhort you to discard your attachments and hatred which are meaningless. Assimilate and adopt the Tatvasara type of neutrality towards things. Endeavour to strengthen your attitude of neutrality". This object is good and that object is bad”. Tear
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
