Way of Life Part 3

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

Page 99

DİSCOURSE 5$
87
know it by some omens; by some dreams; and sometimes by means of some divine sounds and suggestions. All these are not perceptible to the senses. They are beyond your sense-perception. You have to find out by means of a calm and wholesome mind whether those omens and signs are true or false. You must not be sceptical about them. There should be no reversal; there should be no indecisiveness; and your knowledge of omens must be perfect and thorough.
THE SENSE TO FIND OUT WHETHER SOME OMENS ARE TRUE OR FALSE IS ESSENTIAL
We happened to go to a town; and there a certain shravak said to me, "Maharaj Sahib! Kindly visit my house". I asked him, "Why ?" He said, “I have a young daughter. She dreamt that there was an idol of Lord Parshwanath buried somewhere in my house. My daughter says, “The idol asked me to take it out.” We dug in all the places shown by the girl but we have not been able to find it so far. You kindly visit our house; and tell us where we should dig to find the idol.”
I said to him : “My dear gentleman! Believing that the dream dreamt by a young girl is true, you have dug up all the floor of your house. Have you tried to decide whether the dream is true or not? Dreams are of various kinds. All dreams do not come true. Some dreams prompted by some mental aberrations prove to be false. Therefore, until you find some other sign and suggestion, do not dig the floor of your house." We stayed there only for a day; so we could not know whether he had stopped digging or whether he was continuing it.
The symbols and signs relating to the features of a site are not seen by all sorts of people. Clear and definite symbols and signs are seen only by people who are of serene disposition, who have conquered their sense, in whom the humours Vayu
(gaseousness) and Piththa (bileousness) are not violent and who have a deep devotion for their Ishtadevatas (one's deities). Only such people can see auspicious omens, clear and suggestive dreams; and can hear clear and significant, divine sounds. If you dwell in a house regarding which auspicious omens and