These classes (of living beings) have been declared ; know and understand that they (all desire) happiness; by (hurting) these beings (men) do harm to their own souls, and will again and again be born as one of them. Every being born high or low in the scale of the living creation, among movable and immovable beings, will meet with its death. Whatever sins the evildoer commits in every birth, for them he must die . In this world or in the next (the sinners suffer themselves what they have inflicted on other beings), a hundred times, or (suffer) other punishment. Living in the Samsâra they ever acquire new Karman, and suffer for their misdeeds. Some leave their mother and father to live as Sramanas, but they use fire; (the prophet) says: People are wicked who kill beings for the sake of their own pleasure. He who lights a fire, kills living beings; he who extinguishes it, kills the fire. Therefore a wise man who well considers the Law, should light no fire. Earth contains life, and water contains life; jumping (or flying) insects fall in (the fire); dirt-born vermin (and beings) living in wood: all these beings are burned by lighting a fire. Sprouts are beings possessed of natural development , their bodies (require) nourishment, and all have their individual life. Reckless men who cut them down out of regard for their own pleasure, destroy many living beings. By destroying seeds, when young or grown up, a careless man does harm to his own soul. (The prophet) says: People are wicked who destroy seeds for the sake of their own pleasure. Men die as embryos, or as babies who do not yet talk, or who do so already; other men, as boys wearing five tufts of hair , or as youths, or in middle age: at the expiration of their life all leave the body and die. (to)Wake up, men! If we look at the dangers (to which he is exposed) a fool has not much chance to obtain human birth; always suffering like men in fever, people will go to utter misery. Some say that perfection is reached by abstaining from the seasoner of food ( salt) , others by the use of cold water ( by ablutions) , others again by (tending) a fire . Perfection is not reached by bathing in the morning, nor by abstention from acids and salt; but by drinking liquor or eating meat or garlic men obtain another state of existence (than perfection). Those who, touching water in the morning and evening, contend that perfection is obtained through water (are easily refuted). For if perfection could be obtained by contact with water, many beings living in water must have reached perfection.
Posted on: Sat, 18 Jan 2014 00:22:00 +0000
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