by Sri Bmal Mohanty
VOL No. 7
 January 2001

CHAPTER EIGHT – DHARMACARAN Part Two - WHAT IS RIGHTEOUS LIVING? Continued from previous issue

"Based on lectures by Sri Bimal Mohanty"

       ( In the last issue we began discussions on various practical tenets of righteous living. We conclude the remaining part of the article in this issue.)

When we talk of Dama the natural corollary is Asteyam, which means not coveting what does not belong to you and is some other’s property.

When man had not developed in mind and was closer to animals, the obvious tendency must have been to snatch away things from others. The mightier was the ruler. The weaker had no where to look at and it is not hard to imagine that there was no social co-existence. Dharmo dharayate prajah. Dharma protects all beings equally and therefore if a section can not be protected there was indeed no Dharma. Hence one of the essential elements of Dharmacaran or righteous living is Asteyam.. Asteyam is applicable to both mighty and the weak universally. This is because no one is mightier in all aspects. No one is weak in every way. The law of the universe as we discussed earlier is that we are all dependent on each other. Therefore if I practice covetousness against you, a time will come when the same thing will happen to me.

Once one has realised the importance of maintaining mental equanimity (Dhriti) , has learnt to forgive and forget, has a reasonable control over one’s actions and has learnt to remain content with his possessions, there automatically comes a feeling of goodwill and friendliness to others. This has to be maintained with the practice of saucam. Suchi simply means purity. All thoughts and actions which are wantonly harmful to others are undivine and therefore impure. A dirty body and mind breeds dirty thoughts. Dirty thoughts lead one to dirty actions. One leaves the path of Dharma and goes for base desires and pleasures.

                                                                                                               Next