"Enlightened World View (Darshan), Enlightened Knowledge (Gyana) And Enlightened Conduct (Charitra)"

One day Shrimadji put this question to Muni Chaturlalji:


'what restrictions did you accept for yourself from the day you took the vow of self-restraint till now?'


Now Shri Chaturlalji had realized that the monks most often wasted their time in sheer laxity. 


So he candidly confessed the truth. 


He said 'In the morning we collect tea for ourselves and take it first thing. next, we collect some snuff, and take in pinch of it. 


We next go around collecting for our morning meal and having eaten whatever we are given freely by householders, we retire for our noonday rest. 


In the evening we perform the ritual of pratikraman, and finally go to bed.'


Shrimadji now said, with a touch of good-humour, 'Do all great ideals such as enlightened world view (darshan), enlightened knowledge (gyana) and enlightened conduct (charitra), boil down to these mundane activities, taking tea and a pinch of snuff, and morning meals and finally retiring to bed.'


Shrimadji next offered some words of pious reflection to Shri Lalluji and made recommendation: 'You ought to encourage other monks to give up their laxity and devote their time to reading scriptures and to religious studies. 


Again, all of you should take meals only once in a day, and should avoid receiving tea and snuff and such trifles. 


You must devote yourselves to the study of Sanskrit.'


On hearing these words, Muni Shri Mohanlalji said, 'Maharajshri and Devkaranji are both of an advanced age, and there is little scope for them to devote themselves to studies.'


Shrimadji said, 'They must devote themselves to studies whenever the opportunity arises. 


You have before you the example of Queen Victoria of England who is also of quite an advanced age and yet devotes her time to the study of foreign languages.'