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DISCOURSE 55
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and potentialities or not. Examine them from the point of view of their being opportunities for the emergence to the surface of certain Karmas. Keep your mind free from doubt, ignorance and reversal while examining them.
A VERY ESSENTIAL WARNING
The author of the grantha gives only one essential warning relating to the construction of a dwelling-house. A house should not have too many doors. This principle has been given for the safety and security of the family and their wealth. If a house has too many doors, the danger of thieves, robbers and rogues entering the house is greater. If the house has too many doors, the women find it difficult to keep up their decorum, ethical propriety and modesty.
Even if a house has four doors, the inmates need not worry if they can engage watchmen to guard the doors; and if they can make other arrangements for their safety and security. In olden days such arrangements for safety and security were made in palaces and harems; were they not? Yet, the harems did not have many doors; a harem had only one door. This was done for the sake of the security and safety of the inmates of the harem. This is one ordinary principle of the grihastadharma.
A householder has to dwell in his house and has to perform his spiritual austerities. If a householder takes these precautions regarding his house he can keep off many calamities and can carry on his spiritual austerities peacefully. A man cannot perform any special spiritual austerities if his house is eclipsed by poverty and disturbances. That is why it is said that householders should observe this ordinary principle of the grihastadharma.
You must construct your house on a proper site. I am completing my discussion of the ninth ordinary principle of the grihastadharma here.
This is enough for to-day.
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