..续本文上一页ctise Dhamma but only talks about it, only discusses and debates about it, if one only keeps explaining Dhamma to others, what will one gain

　　 That is why the saint further said­

　　"Kathai na hoī, badai na hoī, suṇai na hoī,

　　Kīyai hoī, o kīyai hoī."

　　"Kathai na hoī" merely talking does not help. "Badai na hoī" merely speaking does not help. "Suṇai na hoī" merely listening also does not help. Then what is the solution

　　 He says "Kīye hoī, O kīye hoī." One gets the benefit only when one practises Dhamma. If one does not practise Dhamma but merely keeps discussing it, what a great misfortune it is!

　　An example. It is the winter season. A man is shivering because of the cold. His coat, a very fine coat, is hanging on the peg and he is talking about it. He praises it lavishly, "This is my coat, made of fine wool, such a warm coat!" Instead of wearing the coat, the poor fellow keeps talking about it and keeps shivering with cold. In the same way, a suffering person just talks about the means to end the suffering instead of using it to end his suffering. What greater misfortune can there be!

　　Another example. There is a thirsty person whose throat is parched by thirst. She is very miserable. There is water nearby and she extols the water, she salutes the water, "O pond, you have provided such good water." But she does not drink, she does not put even a drop of water in her mouth. What greater misfortune can there be!

　　Similarly a person is miserable because of hunger. A plate of food has been placed before him. He praises the food, "What delicious food, what tasty food!" He salutes the food, he salutes the cook who prepared such delicious food. But he does not put a single morsel of food in his mouth. He continues to be tormented because of hunger. What greater misfortune can there be!

　　In the same manner, a sick person is restless, agitated, miserable because of his illness. He extols the medicine placed nearby, he sings praises of it, he salutes it. He salutes the doctor who prescribed that medicine. But he does not take the medicine. What greater misfortune can there be!

　　In exactly the same way one makes Dhamma merely a subject of conversation, an intellectual game that sometimes turns into heated debates and violent arguments. Then the quarrellers start shouting, "My religion is right, your religion is wrong. My religion is great, your religion is worthless." They start fighting, killing, committing arson, causing disturbance everywhere. Such behaviour proves that they have not understood Dhamma, which is the quintessence of all the religions. They have never observed the reality within. Has the mind become pure

　　 Have the defilements of your mind been eradicated

　　If the mind becomes pure, Dhamma will automatically be reflected in one”s conduct. Only then is it Dhamma. When the mind is not pure it is filled with anger, aversion and hatred. When one fights with someone, one generates only aversion, anger, hatred. Whatever one calls as one”s religion, one develops attachment towards it. What is happening in the name of Dhamma! Why does this happen

　　 The answer is: we have forgotten to practise Dhamma and that is because we have forgotten the true meaning of Dhamma.

　　Dhamma is always universal, it belongs to everyone; it is boundless and immeasurable. When Dhamma is made limited and confined to a particular sect or group, it is not true Dhamma. Dhamma belongs to everyone. It is Dhamma only if it is universal. It is equally beneficial to anyone who practises it correctly. Whoever practises it is benefitted, irrespective of religion, nationality, language or colour. Whether one calls oneself Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, Christian, Muslim, Sikh, Parsi or Jew it does not matter. The practical benefits of Dhamma are the same. To pract…

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