98
To abuse those who abuse us is not correct
Ksamd khadgah kare yasya, durjanah kim karisyati.
This means: One who is holding the sword of forgiveness cannot be troubled by
the wicked.
Atme patite trahih svayamevopaidmyati.
“Where there is no piece of straw, what can a spark do? It will die out on its own.”
Similarly, wickedness done to a forgiving person will stop on its own. Therefore,
one should always take the attitude of equanimity.
One should carry out all actions while remaining in one of these four attitudes:
friendliness, compassion, cheerfulness, and indifference.
One should not rely on any other attitude. If you follow this advice, you will not experience occasions of peacelessness.
There are some issues regarding the misuse of wealth. The number one misuse
of wealth is spending it on wicked activities. The number two misuse is failing to apply
Yogasutra 1.33: “The mind becomes purified through the practice of friendliness, compassion,
cheerfulness, and indifference (the equanimity that comes from disinterestedness) towards happiness,
sorrow, virtue, and vice.” These four qualities [maitri, karund, mudita, and upeksd] are also the four
cardinal virtues of classical Buddhism.
one’s earnings toward preparations for the future. Even if wealth is not spent on bad
activities, failure to use it for good activities is still a misuse. Thus the number two
misuse occurs if the money is not spent on bad activities, but at the same time, it is not
I spent on good works, either.
The proper use of wealth is the first: that is, spending it only on worthy activities.
One should always endeavor to make proper use of this life. Nowadays people waste
their most precious time in unnecessary arguments of caste and sect. Taking birth in one
caste or another is a fact of life, but those who entangle themselves in forming groups of ‘
castes are turning their backs on Bhagavan. Wherever one might have taken birth, he
should try his best to come out of the prison of birth and death. One should not continue
to support another prison called caste. One should profit from caste and sect to this
extent—adopt whatever good things are recommended in the Veda-s and Sastra-s, and
stay away from and abandon whatever things are prohibited therein. This way, caste pride
is meaningful. Have certainty that a good thing is only that which is in accordance with
Veda-s and Sastra—s. Nothing will become good or bad according to our thinking. That is
good which Veda-s and Sastra-s- declare to be good, and that is bad which they declare’to
be bad.
If you desire wealth, then collect that wealth which can accompany you [after
death]. What is the use of accumulating wealth which is temporary and has to be left
behind in this world?
One thing is certain: due to lack of discrimination, [there is] dhandsd jivitds‘d
cajiryato ‘pinazjz’ryatel. The desire to acquire wealth and stay alive will not depart even .
from those on their death bed. Here’s an illustration.
Once there lived a very old lady. Somehow she survived by selling pieces of
firewood picked up from here and there. Her life was full of misery. One day while
picking up firewood from the forest, she became greedy and picked up so much wood
that her bundle was too heavy to lift onto her head, even though she tried many times to
lift it. In the end, she gave up all hope. Out of disgust she said, “If Death were to come
somehow, then I would be free from misery.” She had barely uttered these words when
Death appeared in front of her. Death asked, “Tell me, dear mother, why have you
called me?” The old lady asked, “Who are you?” Death said, “I am Death: you called for
me, so I came.” The old lady said, “Very good, you have come, I called you to carry this
bundle.” ”
The point is, no matter what state a person may be in, if he’s still breathing, he
does not want to die. But if one lives just by eating and drinking, such a life is of no use.
Life will be meaningful only if it is lived in such a way that it prepares one for the future.
Here Death addresses the elderly woman as Mata Ji, “Dear Mother,” a form of respect.
If life is devoted only to the enjoyment of sense pleasures, and thus to acquiring sin, then
it is better to die than to live.
You should always remember while carrying out daily affairs that even if your
activities carmot benefit anyone, then at least they should do no harm. Along with this
you should carry out at least some amount of worship and contemplation of God. The
mind is always fickle. But whether the mind is concentrated or not, one should spend
some time in worship and prayer. If your mind is not focused now, it will become more
sharply focused in a few days, but you must keep doing it. If you drink water from the
same glass, after a few days, you will become fond of that glass, and if you are offered
water in another glass, you tend to inquire, “Where is that old glass?” Similarly, after just
a few days you will come to love the walking cane that you constantly hold in your hand.
In the same fashion, as you continue to chant the name of Bhagavan, you will start loving
it like that glass and walking cane. For this reason, even if you are not able to keep your
mind concentrated, you should continue to chant the name of Bhagavan. Let the mind go
where it will.
Назад | Оглавление | Вперед
