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DISCOURSE 42
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listen to our discourses; read our books; sing, dance and make merry. Moksha is at hand. You can easily get it”.
THE SPREADING OF THE SNARES OF DECEPTION
Mastery over language; eloquence in speech; oratorical and rhetorical flourishes, a vast machinery for effective propaganda and enticing exhibitionism :- such are the deceptive devices employed by some who pass for sadhus and sanyasis. Even the so called educated people are caught in these snares of deception because they fear difficulties. They want to be liberated from their mental agitation but without the necessity of disçarding anything. They want to attain happiness but without any kind of renunciation. Self-sacrifice and renunciation which are essential for the pursuit of the path of salvation have been the objects of derisive laughter. Austerities and the people who have attained spiritual excellence are being looked down upon and treated with utter contempt. These cranky people have completely altered the very definitions of purity and noble conduct. Their definitions are their own fanciful creations. Under the name of "free mingling", they have been encouraging ignobility, and illicit sexual intimacies. They do not prohibit meat-eating and wine-drinking. Yet, they give this assurance to people, "You will soon attain salvation" and mad people are easily inveigled into such insidious snares.
Our omniscient and all-seeing Vitrag Paramatma has said that an impure soul can be purified only by means of spiritual austerities, renunciation, sacrifice, enlightenment, contemplation and meditation. He has exhorted us to renounce our attachments and the objects of our attachments. He seriously condemned attachments and declared that the objects of attachment are unworthy and meaningless. A man who has no attachments can renounce things without any pangs.
NEVER DERIDE NOBLE PEOPLE; ON THE CONTRARY, GLORIFY THEM IF YOU CAN
While describing the ordinary principles of grihasthadharma, the great author and sage exhorts his readers to dis
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