Way of Life Part 2

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

Page 20

THE WAY OF LIFE
push given by the cow" and then he began laughing uproariously. Vishwabhuthi saw Vishakanandi. He noticed Vishakanandi laughing at him. He lost his intellectual vision and his eyes of infatuation opened. Pride and selfishness arose in Vishwabhuthi's heart. "Do you think that I am a coward? Do you think that I am a weak fellow ?. Wait, I will show you my strength". The muni held the horns of the cow with his hands; wheeled the cow and threw it up into the sky. When the cow fell down, he held it with his hands. He did not allow it to fall on the ground. Vishakanandi stood stupefied by this sight of the muni’s godly powers. He was also greatly terrified. "Probably, he will take me up; throw me into the sky and in that case, I will go straight to heaven”. He ran away from there terrified. Vishwabhuthi muni felt happy when he saw Vishakanandi running away. It is a serious kind of mohadasha or infatuation to exult over others' defeat; to see others running away being defeated or to take delight in beating others. The muniraj thought, "In this world, might is right. The world worships the mighty. I must become a man of might. I shall become the mightiest man in the world. I wish to attain extraordinary might in my next life on account of my Tapasya and Sadhutha". The muni's mental eyes were blinded thus and he sold his Sadhutha for attaining physical might. In the next life, he attained might but he did not attain sadhutha. His might ruined him spiritually. After his death, he went to hell.
RENUNCIATION MUST BE STRENGTHENED AND MAINTAINED
Even after receiving initiation into the Sadhudharma, by means of enlightenment, one must keep one's mental eyes open. One must keep one's renunciation alive. It is easy to renounce worldly life and physical pleasures but maintaining renunciation firmly is difficult, because a Sadhu also is a man, you see. He too has the five senses. He too has passions. He too can experience taste. He too has desires for leisure and pleasure and magnificence. He also has the propensity to keep off difficulties. A Sadhu controls all these things. That means, he keeps his senses under his control. He does not allow