Way of Life Part 2

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

Page 84

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THE WAY OF LIFE
ple built with ill-gotten money as it can be in a temple that is built with the money that has been earned by fair means.. Now-a-days, many people complain thus, "Even when we go to the temple, our minds cannot concentrate on the Paramatma. Even there, our minds keep wandering in a million directions". There are many reasons for this. But the impure money that has been used to build the temple is also one of the reasons.
Another point is this. How many people to-day have wealth acquired by fair means? You ask affluent people whether they acquired their wealth by fair means or foul means. But even this is a good thing. Some people desire to spend for noble purposes, the money that they have acquired by immoral, illegal and dishonest means. Even this is a commendable thing. All people do not entertain the desire to spend their money for noble purposes. The wealth that a man acquires on account of the effect of the Papanubandhi merit brings about evil propensities in him and corrupts his mind and impels him to pursue the path of unrighteousness and evil. That wealth gets spent only for ignoble causes. The wealth is attained on account of merit but it will be spent for sinful purposes. Therefore, that merit is Papanubandhi (it impels man to commit sins).
THE TWO KINDS OF PUNYA OR MERIT
Punyodhaya or the emergence of the effect of merit is of two kinds, namely Punyanubandhi (that which impels man to acquire merit) and Papanubandhi, (that which impels man to commit sins). The emergence of the effect of merit in the case of people possessing a pure and noble mind is of the Punyanubandhi type. The emergence of the effect of merit in the case of people possessing impure and ignoble minds is of the Papanubandhi type. It inspires people to carry out noble actions, if their minds are pure and noble and it inspires people to commit ignoble and impure actions, if their minds are ignoble and impure. When in the life of a man the Papanubandhi type of merit appears, the purity and the nobility of his mind will be annihilated. His mind becomes polluted. In the same manner, when in the life of a man, the Punyanubandhi type of merit appears, even his ignoble mind becomes noble and elevated. Yes.