Lesson 24 Theft/Stealing (Chori)

THEFT/ STEALING (CHORI) Theft-Without being given to accept or pick-up any article which is fallen/lying/ forgotten/ left or give it to someone else is called theft. Who so ever do this kind of sin are called thieves. Once pious Surendradatta Seth gave plenty of wealth to his friend Rudradatta for doing/performing daily worship in the temple & he himself went to some distant place for earning more money. Rudradatta wasted all the wealth in gambling etc. including all the seven vices. He started stealing & was killed by a head-constable. Thus he went to hell. After that he was born as Mahamatsya & suffered the miseries of innumerable cycles of births & deaths. Later he was born as a sinful son with ugly looks in the family of a poor Brahaman. This was all due to the crime of theft. During his childhood one day he followed a Digambar Muni,  where he was afraid of committing sins, accepted celibacy & became a Muni (Saint).Later on his death, he was born in heaven as Ahamindra deity. Look Children! By committing the crimes of theft etc. one has to suffer the miseries of hell, animal life & even in human life. While with the company of a Muni one gets heaven & can even liberate himself.

Q.1. What is the meaning of theft? Q.2. Describe the life of the child with a begging bowl in the picture? Q.3. What is the result of theft? Q.4. How the sinful child became Ahamindra deity?