Page 108 - Faith Personified

shortcomings, giving unnecessary advice to others and
criticizing them, you are ruining the significant time that
could have been utilised for self-reflection.

All of these are termed as ‘Pramada’ = Laziness.

Looking here and there, chitchatting, a wild imagination and
an idle mind, luxuries and sleep, worrying about others,
attraction of sensual pleasures, happiness and sorrow, anger

and greed, laughter, fear, disgust and sensual attachments, all
of this is laziness. Engaging in any of these means squandering
away the extremely precious time available for religious
activities.

If you pursue religious activities like Pratikramana,
Chaityavandana, etc. and simultaneously talk amongst
yourselves, look here and there, allow your mind to roam

about or envelop your mind with jealousy and hatred for
others, then these rituals will not be able to give you the
desired results. To attain that, your rituals have to be complete
with determination and mental concentration. You have been
going to the temple and worshipping God for years together.
Now check – while pursuing the various poojas and rituals,
don’t you look here and there? Do you talk amidst yourselves?

Don’t you let your imagination run wild?

We are worshipping God and someone comes and stands
right in between, obstructing our sight of God. What will be
our thought process? “Is he a fool? Doesn’t he understand
that he should stand a little away? When will he learn to act

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