Way of Life Part 2

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

Page 85

DISCOURSE 29
All this is the result of the effect of Karmas. Karmas exercise their effect even upon the intellect. If your ways are immoral and illegal; if you do not experience any compunction or pain when you commit immoral and illegal actions and if you do not even think thus, "I should not act illegally and immorally; my actions and activities must be pure and noble" then you may know that you are unfit to climb even the first step of grihasthadharma.
WE HAVE GOT THIS KIND OF GOVERNMENT ON ACCOUNT OF THE EFFECT OF OUR SINFUL KARMAS
There is no limit to your misfortunes. The government you have is such that it cannot give you happiness. The national economy is so full of defects and derogations that the people of the country are experiencing inordinate sufferings. The government has levied such heavy taxes and continues to levy such heavy taxes that the people of the country find it difficult to pursue the path of morality and legality. The government takes away sixty five thousand rupees, if your income is one lakh rupees. Therefore, many businessmen today try to evade taxes. They adopt illegal methods to escape the burden of heavy taxation. Do not the leaders carrying on the government know this? In fact, even among them some evade taxes. We have got such an immoral government on account of the effect of our sins. John Keats, a great English poet of the early nineteenth century says in his poem “Hyperion". "The first in beauty must be the first in power". What does he mean? What meaning does he attach to beauty here ? His meaning is that those who possess the sublime beauty of moral, ethical and spiritual excellence must rule people.
The substance of what I have been saying is that you can follow the path of morality and lawfulness if you can live with the minimum of wants and if you give up your fascination for affluence.
Another vital point is this; if you are a businessman, you should not deceive your customers. You should not cheat your customers. You should not adulterate commodities. If you cannot be honest in respect of your dealings with the government,