Page 17 - Desire to Disaster

his father that he was not feeling well and did not go to the
celebration.

Sunanda also deceived the queen by lying that she had a
stomach ache. But her mother was concerned and stated that
she would not leave her daughter alone when she was in
pain. Sunanda was worried as she had planned to be alone
in order to meet Rupsen. But she was a resourceful girl and
came up with a plan.

Clever for worldly objectives but not for dharma

In this world, everyone is clever when it comes to fulfilling
their wishes. But when it comes to dharma, all their smartness
and resourcefulness disappears. Since they cannot perceive
any direct benefits from dharma, they make excuses and turn
away from it. They use inflation as an excuse to not make
donations. There is no limit to how much they are willing to
spend on their homes. But they are very particular about how
much they spend for the cause of dharma.

For pūjā rituals, they will carry their own milk, sandalwood,
saffron, soft cloth for wiping the idol, incense sticks, etc. On
special days, they will carry silver foil, fruits and flowers.

● But how much are they willing to do on regular days?

● How much are they willing to spend on helping fellow
Jains?

● How much on promoting Jain studies and the publication
of books on Jainism? Not much. Why not?

If guests visit them, people pull out all stops to entertain
them. Or if they or their loved ones fall sick, they spend
any amount of money to regain their health. But they are
unwilling to spend so lavishly when it comes to dharma.

They forget that they have the best god on earth. They should
Desire to Disaster 17