Way of Life Part 3

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

Page 26

14
THE WAY OF LIFE
Know the other principle also. If you feel proud of any. thing in this life, in your next life, you will get a lower type of that thing whether it is strength or wealth or beauty or intelli gence. (1) If you feel proud that you belong to a high caste, in your
next life you will be born in a low statụs. (2). If you feel proud that you belong to a high lineage, in
this life, in your next life you will be born, in a low
lineage. (3) If in this life, you feel proud of your beauty, in your next
life you will be born ugly. You will not get beauty:
If in this life you feel proud of your strength, in your next ' life you will be cowardly and weak. Whatever tonics and
medicines you may take, you will not get strength. (5) If in this life you easily get the means of happiness and
if you feel proud of them; in your next life, you will not
get those easily. (6) If you feel proud of your intelligence in this life, in your
next life, you will be devoid of intelligence. (7) If in this life, you feel proud of your knowledge, in your
next life you will not get knowledge. (8) If you feel proud of your spiritual austerities in this life,
in your next life, you will not be able to perform spiri
tual austerities even if you make thousands of efforts.
It must be realized that this rule applies to other things also. If you feel proud of anything in this life, in your next life, you will not get it; and even if you get it, it will be of a low, and mean kind.
A man who is intoxicated by arrogance cannot maintain a: balance and a proper proportion in respect of the endeavours relating to Dharma (righteousness); Artha (wealth) and Kama (worldly desires). Moreover, he will not be able to attain-avictory over the senses. Therefore, one should attain a victory. over the inner enemies namely, Desire, Anger, Avarice; Prilde -