CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Further Talks Between
King Rahigana and Jada Bharata

The brédhmana Jada Bharata became very kind to King Rahigana, and to
disassociate him from the material world, he spoke figuratively of the
forest of the material world. He explained that this material world is like
a great forest in which one becomes entangled due to association with
material life. In this forest there are plunderers (the six senses) as well as
carnivorous animals like jackals, wolves and lions (wife, children and
other relatives) who are always anxious to suck the blood from the head
of the family. The forest plunderers and the carnivorous blood-sucking
animals combine to exploit the energy of a man within this material
world. In this forest there is also a black hole, covered by grass, into
which one may fall. Coming into the forest and being captivated by so
many material attractions, one identifies himself with this material
world, society, friendship, love and family. Having lost the path and not
knowing where to go, being harassed by animals and birds, one is also
victimized by many desires. Thus one works very hard within the forest
and wanders here and there. He becomes captivated by temporary happi-
ness and becomes aggrieved by so-called distress. Actually one simply
suffers in the forest from so-called happiness and distress. Sometimes he
is attacked by a snake (deep sleep), and due to the snakebite he loses con-
sciousness and becomes puzzled and bewildered about discharging his
duties. Sometimes he is attracted by women other than his wife, and thus
he thinks he enjoys extramarital love with another woman. He is at-
tacked by various diseases, by lamentation and by summer and winter.
Thus one within the forest of the material world suffers the pains of
material existence. Expecting to become happy, the living entity changes
his position from one place to another, but actually a materialistic person
within the material world is never happy. Being constantly engaged in
materialistic activities, he is always disturbed. He forgets that one day he
has to die. Although he suffers severely. being illusioned by the material
energy, he still hankers after material happiness. In this way he

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