Way of Life Part 2

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

Page 19

DISCOURSE 25
Of course, one can attain the delights of the heavenly world by living according to the principles of the Sadhudharma, by living in perfect conformity with those principles, but the desire to attain delights is detrimental to true Sadhudharma. The Sadhudharma is not concerned with physical delights; it is concerned with spiritual graces and glories. The objective of the Sadhudharma is to attain permanent and imperishable spiritual bliss. How can the renunciation of a man be an enlightened one if he has no knowledge of the soul, if he is not familiar with it and if he has not even a conception of spiritual bliss. The jivatmas that are rendered thoughtless and stupid by attachments, hatred and infatuation know only sensual delights. They always think of sensual delights and always endeavour to attain them.
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VISHWABHUTHI AND VISHAKANANDI
Sometimes, it also happens that renunciation or the acceptance of the Sadhudharma takes place by means of enlightenment but, later if the intellectual vision is lost, fascination grows strong. A strong infatuation brings about a bargain of sadhutha for sensual pleasures. Bhagwan Mahavir's soul in one of his previous lives impelled him to commit this mistake. When Vishwabhuthi was the prince or the heir-designate, his first cousin, Vishakanandi deceived him. On account of this experience, Vishwabhuthi renounced worldly life and received intitiation into the life of a Sadhu. After becoming a Sadhu, he performed a severe penance. On account of the arduous austerities and Tapasya which he performed, he acquired extraordinary spiritual powers. One day, in a city, Viswabhuthi set out to obtain Bhiksha. While he was going on a road, a cow came and collided against him. He fell down on the ground. The muni did not get angry with the cow even a bit. But Vishakanandi saw this incident, since he was coming into the city, in order to marry. Seeing the incident, he laughed hilariously. He remembered the words of Vishwabhuthi. "I will break your head with a blow of my first". Vishakanandi thought. "Viswabhuthi, who boasted that he had the strength to break my head with a single blow of his fist has now fallen upon the ground with one