Hunter Discourses on Dharma and Karma

The hunter, devoted to dharma, continued speaking to the brahmana rishi. "The course of dharma is subtle," he said. "It has many branches and is infinite. The old ones have instructed that the proof is what is stated in the shrutis (sacred revelations). When life is at risk or at the time of marriage, speaking a falsehood is permitted. Sometimes falsehood becomes truth and truth becomes falsehood. Whatever ensures the welfare of beings is held to be the truth. Acting in a contrary way ensures adharma. Behold the subtlety of dharma." He spoke of the confusion men feel when they see the world not matching their expectations. A man with no learning is ignorant of the sins of his own acts. When calamity strikes, he blames the gods. Foolish and deceitful ones do not possess the wisdom to save themselves when their fortunes reverse. Controlled, skilled, intelligent men can be seen obstructed and unsuccessful in all their efforts — while those who are always ready to injure other beings lead lives of happiness. Some attain prosperity without trying. Others endeavour greatly and obtain nothing. Wretched ones worship the gods and perform austerities to obtain a son — and the son, when born, turns out to be a stain on the lineage. "Human disease is the result of earlier deeds," the hunter said. "Men are like small animals tied up by the hunter. Just as hunters hunt deer, competent physicians who have collected medicines can treat them. Those who can have good food are then afflicted by evils of indigestion. Others with strong arms suffer because they can find food only with great difficulty. Thus the world is flooded with weeping, delusion and sorrow — helpless, tossed and repeatedly washed away through powerful currents." If everything depended on a person, no one would live in misery. Everyone wants to surpass others and endeavours as much as one can. But it doesn't happen that way. Many are born under the same stars and signs, yet a great divergence is seen in the fruits of their deeds. No one can himself determine his fate. The deeds performed earlier are seen to lead to results here. "It has been said in the shrutis that the soul is certainly eternal," the hunter said, "but the bodies of all living beings perish in this world. When the body dies, only the body is destroyed. Fettered by the bonds of deeds, the soul goes elsewhere." The brahmana asked: "In what way is the soul eternal? I wish to learn this in detail." "The soul does not die when the body perishes," the hunter replied. "Only the foolish ones aver that it perishes. The soul moves on to another body. When the body dies, the form changes. No one except the actor obtains the fruits of deeds and shares in the happiness or unhappiness. Whatever deeds one may have done, those fruits remain and are not destroyed. Those who were unholy in conduct can become pure. The best of men can become sinners. A man is always pursued by his deeds. Determined by these, he is born again." The brahmana pressed further: "How is he formed in the womb? How does he become good or evil? How are the good born good? How does that movement occur?" "It is seen that the act of conception is linked to karma," the hunter said. "One is born again with the past accumulation — the good in good wombs and the evil in evil wombs. Through good deeds one becomes a god. Through mixed ones, a human. Through evil deeds, one descends below. It is because of the sins performed by him earlier that a man is cooked in this life and is always afflicted by birth, old age and death. Tied by the bonds of earlier karma, a being wanders through thousands of inferior births and even goes to hell." He described the cycle: a being dies and suffers through the karma of its own deeds. To counteract that earlier misery, it is born in an unholy womb. Then it again accumulates a large amount of new karma. It is cooked again, like a diseased person who has eaten unwholesome food. Although it suffers many difficulties, it considers that unhappiness to be tinged with happiness. Therefore the bonds are not loosened and a new karma arises again. Encircled by many miseries, it circles around the world. "By casting off those bonds of deeds and by performing pure deeds," the hunter said, "one can obtain the worlds of righteous ones and go to where there is no sorrow. The sinful one who performs evil deeds never goes to where there is an end to sin. Therefore one should perform good deeds and abhor those that are evil." He spoke of the fruits of dharma: sound, touch, form and fragrance, as one wishes. Lordship. Happiness here and in the hereafter. But having obtained these fruits, one may not be satisfied. One who is dissatisfied looks at this dissatisfaction with the insight of knowledge. Observing that the world is naturally subject to decay, he renounces everything and strives for salvation, using the right means and not the wrong ones. He avoids all evil deeds and accepts detachment. He is devoted to dharma and obtains supreme salvation. "Austerities are the best course for beings," the hunter said, "and its root is tranquility and self-control. Through this, one can obtain everything that the mind desires. Through restraining the senses, truthfulness and self-control, one obtains the supreme abode of the brahman." The brahmana asked: "What are these faculties that are called the senses? How can they be controlled and what are the fruits of this control? I wish to know these details about dharma."

Hunter Discourses on Dharma and Karma

The Brahmana Koushika Learns Dharma from a Hunter