| Discourses On Gita By Acharya Vinoba Bhave |
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| Discourses On Gita |
| CONCLUSION - THE FULFILLMENT OF FRUIT - THE GRACE OF THE LORD |
| Don't
you know the story of the ox and the frog? There is a limit beyond
which a frog cannot blow up its body. If it tried to become as big
as an ox, it would only die. It is not right to copy other's forms.
That is why it is said that paradharma, the dharma of
others, is terrible and dangerous.
16. Again in svadharma there are two parts. One changes while the other does not. I am not today what I was yesterday, nor shall I be tomorrow what I am today. I am for ever changing. The svadharma of childhood is just to grow. In youth, I am full of the power of action, and should use it in the service of society. In maturity others will get the benefit of my wisdom. While one part of svadharma is thus changing, the other part is unchanging. If we use the names of the old shastras,
we should say, "Man has a varna-dharma and an ashrama-dharma."
While varna-dharma does not change, ashrama-dharma is
constantly changing. Ashrama-dharma changes in the sense that I complete the brahmacharya (students) stage and enter the grihastha (house-holder) stage, and then through vanaprastha (retirement) to sannyaasa (renunciation). Though the ashrama changes in this way, there is no change in varna - dharma. |
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