106
Aptavani-6
[12]
Attributes of the Non-self are Unreliable
Whoever’s shadow of influence falls upon us, we inevitably
become infected by that person’s ‘disease.’ No matter how
good this mango looks on the outside, what are we going to do
with it? No matter how many good qualities it has, of what good
is it to us? Someone may tell us, ‘This person has so many good
qualities. He is the abode of good qualities.’
But what have the Vitarag Lords (the fully enlightened
ones) said?
They may be all first class qualities, but what are those
qualities dependent upon? They are not dependent on the person;
they are dependent on the equilibrium of the three humors that
govern the biological, psychological and physiological functions
of the body (pita, vayu and kapha) and constitute everything of
a being except the Self (prakruti). When all three become excess,
one will become delirious and people will curse him. What
happens when a man who never curses or has a bad word for
anyone becomes delirious? That is why Lord Mahavir has said
that all these non-Self qualities (paudgalik) are such that they
can be destroyed in only forty-eight minutes (one gunthana);
such is their temporary nature. How long will you continue to
accumulate such qualities? It will be all over the moment you
have a disorder of the three humors (tridosh) body, the effects
of imbalance and excess of biological, psychological and
physiological functions of the body.
When a person cannot bear any suffering, a ‘crack’ will
occur in his mind, i.e., he will have a nervous breakdown. That