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THE WAY OF LIFE
of gambling has increased. Both rich people and poor people gamble. Gambling is a fashion among the rich. There are clubs where rich people meet to gamble. There are clubs where gambling goes on throughout the 24 hours of the day. Are there not such clubs ?
Question: How did you come to know of all this?
Maharajashri In a city, we were spending the Chaturmas. We were staying in the Upashraya, in that city. Just behind the Upashraya there was such a club. One night, at about twelve, a loud quarrel took place there. They were quarrelling in our neighbourhood. At that time, I was awake. I looked out through the window. In the morning, I asked a devotee : "Whose house is this? Why do so many people meet here ?" The devotee told me that it was a club; and that people came there to gamble; and that they kept gambling throughout the night. Later, a gambler told me in which places such clubs were situated and how many clubs there were in the city. The police knew all this.
TRUSTEES OF DHARMASHALAS MUST LISTEN TO THIS ATTENTIVELY
Even in dharmashalas (choultries) situated in holy pilgrimcentres gambling goes on. Even in those places gamblers have been arrested. People gamble fearlessly in the dharmashalas situated in holy pilgrim-centres; do not they? People gamble in a room or in a block, in those Dharmashalas, closing the doors. The manager gets his "tribute" or "who can prevent big people from gambling there? If the manager tries to stop their activities, the poor man will lose his job."
The misuse of dharmashalas in holy places and gambling in those dharmashalas have been increasing. The greater the facilities provided in those places, the greater the sinful activities going on there.
If some of you are trustees of such dharmashalas, you must realize that you are unconsciously and indirectly responsible for those sinful activities.
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