________________
282
THE WAY OF LIFE
with religious activities. If the Judge had discerned in the Seth's life, kindness and compassion along with religious activities, he would have held the Seth and his religious activities in high esteem. Concordance therefore is the mother of cordiality and esteem. If a man who does not go to the temple; who does not go to Sadhus and who does not perform any special religious activities, happens to be immoral, dishonest and heartless in his day-to-day life, people would not see any discord in his life. The people will say, "His nature is such that he does not go to the temples. He does not go to religious centres. He does not perform religious austerities. When that is so, it is natural that he should act in this ignoble manner". People would not discern any dichotemy in his life. Unlawfulness, immorality, and dishonesty go with unrighteousness or irreligious behaviour. Between them there is concordance. There is no dichotemy or discord in the life of a man who does not go to temples but who goes to clubs; who does not go to Sadhus but who goes to dancing girls; who does not drink the nectar of pure knowledge but who drinks wine. If such a man acts illegally, immorally, heartlessly or if he betrays faith, there is no inconsistency in his life.
The life of noble people has concordance in it. They do not engage themselves in self-contradictory actions and they do not engage themselves in self-contradictory arguments. The melody of concordance emerges from the lute of their life. They always keep off self-contradictions and counter-arguments. Is not their love of concordance praiseworthy ? If you do not approve of contradictory arguments in words and actions and if you admire concordance and consistency then you would certainly admire such noble people.
From the Audience: Some love arguments and counterarguments and some take delight in a life of discord or dichotemy between words and actions.
Maharajashri : Do they take delight in such a thing ? They may enjoy it but can they realise how evil discord and selfcontradictions are ? "We should not engage ourselves in discord and discussions and self-contradictory actions; there should be
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
