Page 66 - Journey to Infinity

think of the right path and right action after undergoing punishment, and experiencing sorrow and suffering. It then desires amelioration and the good of all. In other words good comes out of the womb of evil as it were; and then the Jiva kindles the desire of benefaction, forgiveness, humility, good of others, etc., and experience brings it to the right path. There is reward for all these actions, and then the Jiva knows that virtue is good and vice is bad. It compares both and gives superiority to right action over wrong action. From here are created the mutually opposite states of right and wrong. For some time it remains in a tug between these; and it completely relinquishes (gives up) the wrong and becomes totally good, it begins to perform actions arising from, and maintaining, the creative Nature. But even then it has the faculty of Knowledge and experience of right and wrong, which is not free from defect. It always concludes that non-violence is the greatest virtue and violence is the biggest sin.
Two Kinds of Action:
There are two kinds of action: Legitimate Action and Illegitimate action. That action which gives happiness legitimate or right action, and that which does not give happiness is illegitimate action.
Now the question arises whether actions like robbery and dacoity really give happiness or not. A man can do anything he likes if he gets happiness without the least sorrow thereby. Nobody can forbid anyone from doing so. But the real thing is, that which a man thinks as happiness due to his ignorance ultimately results in sorrow. The environment in which we all reside is replete with the ideas of virtue and vice. Firstly, its influence itself is becoming universal. Secondly, everyone engaged in committing theft and murder is influenced by the idea of virtue and sin. That is why action is not done with courage. The thief hides self and commits theft. When such is the condition, a man doing the wrong thing takes the bad effect in his heart first, and then does bad things to others.
Wickedness spoils the heart and makes it heavy and unholy, which results in sorrow. Besides this, the person on whom it is inflicted no doubt experiences sorrow. But a current of sorrow flows from his heart and makes the person inflicting sorrow sorrowful. To take an example, if your neighbour is sorrow- stricken and unhappy, you cannot in any way escape from the influence of his sorrow. This sorrow is just like the smoke of poisonous fuel, so to say. Burn it in any home and its bitterness spreads in the neighbouring homes. The same is the case with goodness or virtue. If you are virtuous, persons around you are bound to be benefited by happiness. This world can be compared to our body. If any organ (part) is diseased the whole body is affected. Therefore good people always keep themselves away from sin, and engage themselves