________________
172
THE WAY OF LIFE
YOU LISTEN TO DISCOURSES BUT DO YOU CONTEMPLATE ON THEM ?
..How many discourses have you heard ? How many times were you exhorted to discard your defects and vices ?. How much reformation have you been able to achieve? Have you not experienced countless bitter consequences? Again you listen to exhortations. You hear exhortations and discourses no doubt; but you do not contemplate and meditate upon and assimilate what you hear. You face painful and bitter consequences; yet you do not scrutinize your soul. You do not sec your mistakes. Then how can you reform yourselves ?
That minister gave up his attempts to reform his wife. His wife's vices such as anger and impetuosity continued to increase. One night, she quarrelled with her husband and left the house with the idea of going to her native place. On the way, she fell among thieves. Those thieves dealt in blood. They took her to their cave in the jungle, and caused great torture to her in taking blood from her body.
At that time, she remembered her husband and home. Would she not have thought thus ? "If I get out of this painful and distressing situation, I will never quarrel again with my husband. I will never get angry with him. I will never be obstinate. I have got the bitter fruits of my sins in this life itself”.
Would she not have thought thus ? She thought thus. She also thought of her husband's virtues. "My husband is like a god; and I have caused great agitation to him. That sin has brought about this painful consequence. I will never again cause any agitation to him. Hence, I will act according to his advice. I will adore him as a god". She went on thinking thus. The robbers caused her inordinate torture.
YOU WILL GET PEACE ONLY AFTER YOU FREE YOURSELF FROM YOUR DEFECTS AND VICES
The Minister was a man of great virtues. He forgot and forgave all her mistakes and blunders; and went in search of her. With great difficulty, he found out her whereabouts; and
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org