Chapter II: Patience and Gratefulness
(1 ) First division of next worldly fortune. Though one, i t has got several divisions. (1) What is beneficial both in this world and the next knowledge and good conduct. (2) What is injurious in both the worlds - ignorance and bad conduct. (3) What is beneficial in this world but injurious in the here-after-pleasure of temptation, (4) what is injurious in this world, but beneficial in the here-after-control of passions, temptations and opposition to vain desires. What is beneficial both in the world and the next is truly gift - knowledge and good conduct. What is injurious in both the worlds is misfortune. What is beneficial in this world but injurious in the hereafter is a danger to a man of insight but gift to a blind man. He is like a hungry man. He sees honey mixed with poison as a gift because he is ignorant. When he comes to know of poison he learns that he is being guided to a danger.
What is injurious in this world but beneficial in the hereafter is a valuable gift to a wise man, but a danger to an ignorant man. it is just like that medicine which is distasteful but its result is good. A boy will think it a danger, but a wise man will take it as fortune. A father gives good education to his son though his mother often does not like it.
(2) Second Division: The second division of getting next worldly fortune is as follows. The things of the world remain mixed with good and evil. What is necessary out of wealth, children, relatives, name and fame is beneficial but enormous wealth and world wide name and fame are not good. There are many pious men who get benefit from lawful wealth and there are people who have got little wealth which does him evil.
(3) Third division: Some gifts are enjoyable in the world but are causes of sufferings in the next world. The next worldly fortune is divided into three classes. The first class of good things are generally dear as they are sought for themselves. The second class of good things are sought for other purposes and not for themselves such as gold and silver. They are loved as through their medium all things of enjoyments can be purchased. This is like his love for his king. In his love for his king, he loves his messenger, but he loves his messenger so much that even he forgets his love for the king. This is foolishness to the extreme.
The third class of good things are such gifts which are sought for
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PATIENCE AND GRATEFULNESS Vol-IV
themselves and for others, such as health and safety. The cause of these gifts is that by their help one can remember God.