Way of Life Part 4

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

Page 60

THE WAY OF LIFE
The merchant's wife could not think thus. Excessive familiarity caused such disgrace to the sadhviji.
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Later, that evil spirit, as the merchant's wife stood looking at the picture of the peacock, entered the picture; came out as a peacock, placed the necklace on the cot; and again became a peacock in the picture. The merchant's wife on seeing this was greatly confounded and terrified. Her eyes were wide with horror and amazement. She took up the necklace and saw it; and found that it was her necklace. Now, she remembered the sadhviji and the strange incident she had narrated. She felt extremely repentant and began to weep aloud. A terrible repentance overwhelmed her. She went running to the sadhviji and begged for her forgiveness. The sadhviji was not at all angry with her because her mental eyes had been opened. She realised the great truth of the principle of cause and effect. When one realises the truth, one becomes free from attachment and hatred.
The sadhviji thought, "Henceforth, I should not be familiar with anyone. I should attain intimacy with my soul. I must carry out some inner austerities to attain spiritual purification and elevation. I must be absorbed in the pursuit of knowledge and wisdom. I must attain proximity to Parambramha the supreme reality. I should not develop familiarity with the jivas of the samsar who are caught in the meshes of attachment and hatred. The great sadhus and Acharyas who are the embodiments of patience, courage and spiritual excellence will help those jivas to attain spiritual welfare but I must now plunge into the depths of spiritual contemplation to attain spiritual enlightenment."
YOU THINK FOR YOURSELVES
This was an affair of a sadhviji and a woman of the world. Do you not know the extent to which the evil of excessive intimacy has pervaded your lives? You know it but you do not think deeply about these things, "My wife was chaste but how did she develop illicit sexual intimacy with my friend? Not only this. Why did I develop illicit sexual intimacy with my