Way of Life Part 1

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

Page 43

DISCOURSE 2
33
Do not use Dharma as a means to attain wealth and worldly pleasures
"Dharma gives wealth; Dharma gives worldly pleasures". This belief encourages human beings to develop faith in and devotion for Dharma and its efficacy. "If we act according to Dharma, we can get wealth. We can attain sensual delights by acting according to Dharma". This kind of thinking is dangerous. By this kind of thinking, man is not attracted towards Dharma, but he is attracted towards mundane pleasures; and a man who thinks thus will use Dharma as a means of attaining wealth and worldly pleasures. It is proper to use the efforts put forth for artha (money) and kama (desires) for the attainment of dharma. But it is absolutely improper to use dharma as a means to attain wealth and worldly pleasures. It is nothing but foolishness.
Whatever the thing; whether it is good or bad; what is of the greatest importance is the way you look at it. A woman is what she is. One man thinks of her as a chaste woman or a noble woman; another thinks of her youth and beauty. We hear men speak thus and we understand their words according to the level of our intellects. If our view of life is determined by the love of wealth, we think thus, "The Acharyashri has said that we can get wealth from dharma, so we shall act according to Dharma and it will bring us money. Dharma has to be practised in order to attain wealth". If our aim in life is the fulfilment of worldly desires and pleasures, then we think, “The Acharyashri has said that we can get sensual pleasures from Dharma, so we shall act according to Dharma and if we do so we will attain worldly pleasures". If our objective is salvation, we think, "The Acharyashri has said that Dharma gives us moksha". We want only moksha, so if we act according to dharma, we will attain moksha".
In the samsar, there are all sorts of jivas. Mainly, there are three kinds: (1) those for whom wealth is all important; (2) those for whom sensual pleasures are all important; and (3) those for whom salvation is all important. Keeping these three kinds of jivas in his mind, the great author says, “Dharma