Way of Life Part 3

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

Page 82

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THE WAY OF LIFE
fellow mendicants; they see defects in householders; and they see defects even in their spiritual superiors. Their main occupation in life is to see defects in others; and to hate them. Such people are always agitated by worry, sorrow, anguish and distress.
If others see defects in such people, they become terriblv enraged. They become deeply agitated by anger. They get ready to quarrel and wrangle with those who criticize them. Nobody can pacify them, nor can anyone persuade them to see the truth. They take an oath against being persuaded to see the truth.
Those who see only defects in others, fill their domestic life also with sorrow, anguish and agitation. If along with the habit of seeing defects, they also have the habit of condemning defects, there will be quarrels in their families every day. Jealousy, back-biting and other such vices keep growing along with the vice of seeing defects. Instead of developing a deep attachment for noble people, they see defects in them also and keep disgracing them. Goshalak lived with Bhagwan Mahavir; but what did he do ? He acquired from Mahavir himself the power of Tejolehya and used it against Mahavir himself. He kept saying : "Only I am really omniscient”. He kept deprecating and calumniating Bhagwan Mahavir.
HOW CAN THERE BE ATTACHMENT WITHOUT LOVE?
You may find not merely a man of virtues but the very store-house of virtues; but you must develop an attachment for him; otherwise what is the use of finding such people ? Attachment cannot appear without love. The tendency to see defects burns away love. Sometimes, they may develop contacts with noble people attracted by some virtues in them; but when they see some defects in those noble men, those fools burn away their love for them and flee from them.
It is not enough if you merely develop contacts with noble people; you must develop a deep attachment for them. You must develop deep amity for them. From this you attain not