Way of Life Part 2

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

Page 25

DISCOURSE 25
13
and adversities of samsar and when you see darkness everywhere you may feel that the life of a sadhu is excellent. "In the life of a sadhu there will not be any sensual pleasures, and in that life we have to experience some difficulties". When you think thus, you may dislike the life of a sadhu. Do not such thoughts occur to you?
HAVE YOU DEVELOPED CONTEMPT FOR SINS ?
"The life of a householder is sinful; therefore, it is not good”. This is what you think on the plane of intellectuality. But your mind may think in a different manner. It may think that even in that sinful life, there are pleasures and enjoyments. Do you have contempt for sins? Do you abhor sins ? No. You have contempt for sorrows; you abhor sorrows. If you have in your possession abundant means for the enjoyment of sensual pleasures and for the enjoyment of physical delights you will love worldly life and the life of a householder and you will have attachment for that life. If you develop contempt for sins, at once, your love for the life of a grihastha disappears.
If you love your soul; if you can visualize the sullied state of your soul; if you visualize the sorrowful state of your soul and if you entertain a strong desire to liberate your soul completely from sorrows, then you will love the life of a sadhu or a shraman. Why should any one renounce the life of a householder and undertake the life of a sadhu ? In the life of a householder, one cannot perform such efficacious spiritual austerities as can release the soul from its Karmas and can dispel all the sorrows of the soul.
THE LIFE OF A GRIHASTHA - THE DOMINANCE OF ATTACHMENTS AND HATRED
How many hours out of the twenty four in each day of the life of a grihastha are spent in the endeavours to acquire wealth ? How many hours are spent every day in sleep and idleness. How many hours are spent in eating, drinking and moving about? How much of time is spent every day in your conversation with your friends and relatives? How much