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THE WAY OF LIFE
who speaks in a harsh and unpleasant manner, does not get absolute reverence and that is a great loss.
4. The fourth quality that a preacher must possess is the capacity to realise the nature of the occasion or the situation. An occasion may be a sorrowful one or a happy one. A situation may be a peaceful one or it may be torn by controversies. It may be an occasion connected with his own Dharma or with some other Dharma. The preacher has to deliver his discourses in a manner that is relevant to the occasion. If a preacher delivers a lecture without realising the nature of the occasion, distress, conflicts and misunderstandings may arise. The preacher of Dharma must realise the nature of the occasion and must inspire in the hearts of his listeners exalted thoughts and lofty spiritual contemplations. He has to deliver discourses with the purpose of reducing the attachments and hatred in the hearts of his listeners.
5. The fifth quality of a speaker is that he must be truthful. He must always keep off falsehood. He must deliver discourses always on the basis of Dharmagranthas. He must interpret the Dharmagranthas correctly. He must employ words with a full awareness of their meaning and implication in a situation. The word Aja in Sanskrit means a goat. It also means corn three years old. "STATUT OH" One meaning of this expression is performing a sacrifice with goats and if that meaning is attached to it, it implies that the preacher is encouraging violence or the killing of animals at the time of yajnas. What a great mistake it would be ! The preacher of Dharma who endeavours to interpret the scriptures must be impartial, objective, dispassionate and must be aware of the nature of the occasion on which he happens to be delivering discourses.
6. The preacher of Dharma should be capable of clearing the doubts of his listeners. He must be capable of gratifying the thirst for spiritual knowledge in his listeners. He must be capable of guessing the doubts that might arise in his listeners. He himself must pose questions and answer them in the course
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