Page 36 - Courage Redifined

4. Greed -- The Root of all Evil

Travelling through various towns and cities, they did not
get a satisfactory answer from any learned or wise old men
and hence their travel continued further. They came across
an old man in one of the villages of Marwad and told him
about their problem. The old man thought that the troubled
men had come from far lands and greeted them warmly.
What is humanity ? Worshipping the supreme Lord, the
elderly ones and greeting the guests. When you go to listen
to a Vyakhyan (religious discourse), do you first bow down
and then sit ? If you are late and you cannot stand to do
the entire Guruvandanaas it can disturb the discourse, do
you at least give a Khamasamana* before sitting ? A saint
is worth-worshipping and thus whenever you meet a saint,
you should bow down in his feet. But when you go to the
Vyakhana to attain the saint’s precious teachings, then how
can you listen to it without bowing down in front of him ?
Where is humanity here ? Humanity means the virtues of a
Marganusari* person.

The appropriate treatment and respect for Atithis, Sadhus and
the helpless is the prime virtue of a Marganusari person. Atithi
means a person who does not have a particular day (tithi) to
practice religion but does religious activities at all times and

* Khamasamana - Bowing down in a way that both your hands and
feet and your head touch the ground.
* Marganusari - A person who is close to the attainment of samyakdarshan
(right faith).
26 Courage Redefined