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DISCOURSE 94
287 WHAT IS ORDINARY DHARMA ? * You may worship the Paramatma but you may treat your
parents with contempt and disrespect. * You may perform the samayik but you may get terribly
angry and irritated and indulge in strong language. You may carry out Prathikraman (the atonement for sins). That means you are observing a special principle but you may take delight in committing such sins as uttering lies, stealing, acting ignobly, condemning others and commend
ing yourself. * You may render service to sadhus but you may associate
with ignoble people neglecting the company of noble
people. * You may go on pilgrimages to holy places but you may
earn money by immoral methods or by trickery or by
stealing * You may perform the Paushadh vrat but you may be un
kind towards those who are in distress and you may condemn noble people. You may recite the Navakar mantra every day counting beads but you may associate with ignoble people and carry
out some ignoble business. * You may perform such austerities as fasting and Ayambil
but when you eat food you may not distinguish between the prohibited food and the prescribed food or you may eat food in the nights or you may eat food when you are suffering from indigestion.
If you act in this contradictory manner the happiness that you get from your actions will be condemnable. If a man ignores the ordinary principles, he cannot attain popularity or commendation in the present life and such a man will attain only censurable happiness even in his next life.
From the Audience: Why is it that in our sangha and society there is such a neglect of the ordinary principles ?
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