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DISCOURSE 83
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that lives in cow-dung looks for cow-dung to burrow a hole for itself and lives in that hole in its own style. Butterflies and black bees search for flower-gardens which they like. These jivas do not need to carry out endeavours relating to Dharma, Artha and Kama. They live in their own instinctive way. Man needs all the three purusharthas. Man builds up himself in accordance with his wisdom and imagination. He builds up his external personality and his internal personality. Heraclitus rightly said, "Man is the architect of his destiny".
MAKE YOUR LIFE VENERABLE
Whether man falls into bad company or whether he associates with noble men is a question that depends on his wisdom and imagination. Those who have a defective view of life associate with ignoble people and they get from that company only evil habits and agonies. Those who possess the right view of life associate with noble people and as a result they secure the treasure of virtues and happiness. Your endeavours will be directed by your aim and your view of life. The great author of the grantha gives us the right view of life. He exhorts you to keep your Dharma, Artha and Kama progressing and developing if you want to make your life as a grihastha venerable. The life of a grihastha must be venerable. If human beings live like animals and birds, they cannot get any respect in society.
Fishes live in their world and mosquitoes live in their own world. Cows live in a world of their own and dogs live in a world of their own. Their existence has no greatness in it. Their lives are spent merely in eating, drinking, mating and fighting; that is all. If human beings also prefer to lead such an existence then what is the difference between human beings and animals?
OPEN THE WINDOWS OF YOUR MIND
Countless amenities and comforts, boundless grandeur abound around man, and man can choose the very best of them or the worst of them. What he chooses depends on his view of life. If a man aims at keeping his Dharma, Artha and Kama
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