Washerman’s stone

Doing what a human being should not do is ‘paap’. Not doing what he should do is ‘pratyavaya’. You should not steal; if you do, you commit paap. You should assist a helpless person; if you do not, you commit pratyavaya.

Paap seems good as long as we do not get the reaction of our paap. Have you seen a washerman washing clothes? He lifts the clothes high up in the air, and the clothes think they are moving up and feel elated. But they do not realise that the higher they are raised, the harder they are hit against the washing stone. Persons who commit paap are like those clothes who think that they are having a nice time and are moving up. But when they suffer the reaction of paap, they find themselves in misery, like the clothes they get beaten on the stone.

There is a difference between ‘swacch’ and ‘bhadra’. Swacch means good or clean. For example, the water is swacch. Bhadra means internally and externally good. Bhadra persons think what the reaction of their action would be. They do not mind suffering till they start getting good reactions to their deeds. And once the reactions of their good deeds begin, then there is only bliss.

While doing evil, people may enjoy themselves. But when they start reaping the reactions of their deeds, there is only misery.

So, before you commit paap, think about its adverse reaction. In good action, there may be some pain, but the reaction will always be beneficent.