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DISCOURSE 4
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cess. You do not remember the events of your earlier lives; but because you followed this process of Dharma through several lives, you are to-day experiencing some pleasures and joys. There are means to attain happiness. There is the experience of happiness. If you again in this life, perform those noble actions of Dharma you will attain happiness in your next life.
DHARMA ACTS IN TWO WAYS:
One action of Dharma is to gather merit in your soul (Punyakarma); and the other is to destroy your sinful Karmas. By means of merit, materialistic happiness can be attained; but by means of the destruction of sinful Karmas, spiritual felicity can be attained. Dharma destroys sinful Karmas immediately and so speedily we can get spiritual felicity. But when Punyakarmas gather and when those punyakarmas become active, then we attain physical and materialistic joys and happiness. But those punyakarmas through the medium of Dharma cannot become active at once. There is such a rule. They become active and effective only after a certain fixed duration of time. We should retain our confidence until the Punyakarmas become active. If we grow fearful and if we lose our confidence, it would not serve the purpose. It is likely that those punyakarmas may not become active and effective in this life. They will surely become active and effective and will give auspicious results but only in the future lives. It is not necessary that they should give their results in the very next life. The Punya karmas of this life may give their fruits after twenty five lives.
Do you realize the meaning of this? Whatever happiness we attain from Dharma and whatever happiness Dharma gives, Dharma does not give them to us directly. It may give us those results through the medium of punyakarmas. With the help of fire, we cook food; but food is not cooked directly by fire. Rice is to be cooked; but if you put rice into fire, will it be cooked ? Fire will burn away the rice. You have to put the rice in a vessel and keep it over fire. Only then will it be cooked. That too not at once. It will take some time. Dharma gives happiness, but it gives happiness through the medium of Punyakarmas. I am speaking of physical and worldly pleasures. But
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