Way of Life Part 3

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

Page 30

THE WAY OF LIFE
You experience delight when your sinful actions bring the desired fruits; don't you? Do you know what a deep kind of sinful Karma binds your soul on account of this ? Such sinful Karmas behave like enemies towards you. “97912 :CH": (Sorrow arises only from sin). That which causes sorrow to you is your enemy. Therefore, experiencing delight in committing sins is ignoble.
Question : But then does not a sinful Karma bind our soul if we do not experience delight in committing it ?
Answer: If you commit a sin, the sinful Karma will surely bind your soul; but if you experience delight in committing a sin, the Nikachit (inevitable) sinful Karma binds your soul. If you do not experience delight while committing a sin, then that sinful Karma that gathers in your soul is "washable"; but the sinful Karma that gathers in your soul, if you experience delight in committing that sin, is unwashable. I will give you an example. You understand the point from that example.
SHRENIK WAS PUFFED UP WITH DELIGHT; AND ....
This story took place during the life-time of Mahavir Swami. At that time, Shrenik was the king of Magadha. King Shrenik used to go hunting. It was his habit to hunt thus; and he used to experience delight in hunting animals. One day, Shrenik went into a forest, hunting. He saw a deer at a distance. He rode on his horse and went chasing it. He fixed an arrow to his bow. The deer was running very fast; but Shrenik's horse also ran behind it very speedily. Shrenik shot the deer with his arrow. The arrow pierced the stomach of the deer. The deer's stomach was cut open; and the deer's young one fell down dead from its womb. The deer also fell down dead. Shrenik dis mounted from his horse; and went near the dead deer. He was greatly delighted to see it. "With one arrow, I have killed two creatures; the deer and its young one”. Thinking thus, he experienced great delight. The hunt was such. "Two creatures were killed with one arrow.” He felt greatly delighted on account of this sinful action, and he bound himself by the Ayushya Karma of being born as an inhabitant of hell. Later.