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THE WAY OF LIFE
politeness, you will naturally desire to hear discourses. It has been said, “Vinayaphalam sushrusha”. The fruit of politeness is the desire to hear discourses. Keep treating the enlightened people with respect and politeness and if you do so, the desire to hear discourses will naturally arise in your mind or the spiritual heads who are pleased with your politeness will inspire in you that desire.
KNOWLEDGE IS ATTAINED BY MEANS OF POLITENESS
There was a village. All the inhabitants of the village were dacoits. Five hundred families of dacoits lived in that village. A certain Acharya while carrying out his padayatra (travelling on foot) with his disciples happened to go to that village. Suddenly, it began to rain heavily. The rivers on the way were in floods. The path was filled with water. It was impossible for them to proceed on the padayatra. The Acharya said to the leader of the village "Noble man, we are Jain sadhus. We do not use vehicles for travelling. We always travel on foot; and we live on Bhiksha (food obtained from pious people). Now, we cannot proceed on our way. Can we spend this rainy season in this village ? Will you please give us a shelter for staying here ? May we hope that our stay in the village will not inconvenience anyone ?"
The headman of the village was the leader of all the dacoits. He thought a while after hearing the words of the Acharya, "These are sadhus. They always preach to people some doctrines. We are all dacoits. The sadhus say, "Violence should not be committed. Falsehood should not be uttered. Crimes like thefts and robberies should not be committed and people should live in accordance with some noble ideals and principles”. If the people of this village after hearing their words give up violence and robbery, our occupation will be gone and we will be ruined. We are dacoits and we have to commit violence, thefts and robberies”.
"Then what shall I do? Shall I agree to their staying ? If I do not comply with their request where can they go now?
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