Way of Life Part 2

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

Page 67

DISCOURSE 28
55
with great difficulties and discomforts for twelve and a half years, without minding them in the least. You cannot get salvation if you prefer leisure and pleasure to austerity and severity. If you want to attain the treasure of Moksha, you must gladly and willingly bear with the buffets of sorrows. If you want to attain moksha, you must be prepared to bear with countless difficulties and discomforts. If you want to keep wandering in samsar, you cannot get that wealth and you need not also bear with the buffets of sorrows. Those who enjoy the sensual delights of human life; and who do not renounce those pleasures will surely fall into ruin and even if they do not like it, they will have to bear with the buffets of sorrows. "When we get some pleasures by means of our merit, why should we not enjoy them ?" This question may arise in your mind but if you think so, it means you are ignorant. If you enjoy again and again the pleasures accruing from your punyakarma or merit; your merit will be exhausted and then the jivatma will fall into ruin. If a jivatma renounces the pleasures which are in his possession, his merit increases and he will attain spiritual elevation. He will also experience higher kinds of felicity. Therefore, I exhort you not to have any attachment for the pleasures that you possess; not to be emotionally involved in them and not to be immersed in them. Get absorbed in the endeavour to discard your pleasures. LAKSHMIDAS LOSES HIS WEALTH
The Seth was interested in safeguarding his wealth and the robber was interested in robbing and grabbing that wealth. While placing the blood-stained knife in the hands of his father, the young man said, "Even when I cut his nose, he did not scream or move. He is dead. You need not have any doubt or suspicion". The Seth now felt convinced that the man should be dead. After having filled the hole with stones and earth and after having erected a sign of identification on the spot, they went home. Soon after that, the robber got up; applied some herbal juice to his bleeding nose and the bleeding stopped. He slowly came near the hole. He removed the earth and stones; he took out the vessel; and concealing it in his clothes, he went home straight.