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THE WAY OF LIFE
delight. Ignorant people take delight in doing certain things, but the enlightened despise those things. "Fools rush in where angels fear to tread". What a man of attachment likes is despised by a man of renunciation. If your third eye of enlightenment is open, you can see that enmity is despicable and you will like only amity.
An ignorant man thinks, "This man has given me a lot of trouble; he has destroyed my happiness; he has caused great agitation to me. He does not give me any happiness, so I deem him my enemy. How can I have friendly relations with him ? When he hates me, how can I love him ? I too must live in this world. Philosophy and Dharma will not help me to live in this world. We are not Sadhus or saints." How can there be amity in the hearts of people whose thoughts flow in the direction of animosity. If such a stupid person is friendly with anyone, even his friendship is prompted by selfishness. Such people cannot have amity for all living beings. "All living beings are my friends". This lofty feeling cannot exist in their minds.
AMITY : THREE KINDS OF CONTEMPLATION
1. The enlightened think thus : "Oh soul, you adopt the attitude of amity towards all living beings. No one is your enemy in this universe. All are your friends. Think deeply about this life. How short is this life? Within a short span of five to fifty years with how many people have you become estranged ? Why? What have you gained from your hostilities? Nothing except anguish and agitation.
2. Oh soul! In your wanderings throuh Samsar, you have developed all kinds of relationships with all jivas. Fathermother, brother-sister, husband-wife, etc. You have developed all kinds of relationships and now do you want to develop enmity with them. Is enmity a lasting one ? An enemy of your previous life becomes a friend in your present life, and a friend in this life becomes a foe in the next life. All relationships are subject to this kind of change. Then, why do you have enmity in your heart. All jivas are members of your family.
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