These (the sceptic says),
O child, cannot represent the utterances of men possessed of true wisdom.
This opinion is wrong. In reality, one obtains the fruits of whatever
among the four kinds of acts one does with the eye, the mind, the tongue,
and muscles.[1503] As the fruit of his acts, O king, a person sometimes
obtains happiness wholly, sometimes misery in the same way, and sometimes
happiness and misery blended together. Whether righteous or sinful, acts
are never destroyed (except by enjoyment or endurance of their
fruits).[1504] Sometimes, O child, the happiness due to good acts remains
concealed and covered in such a way that it does not display itself in
the case of the person who is sinking in life's ocean till his sorrows
disappear. After sorrow has beep exhausted (by endurance), one begins to
enjoy (the fruits of) one's good acts. And know, O king, that upon the
exhaustion of the fruits of good acts, those of sinful acts begin to
manifest themselves. Self-restraint, forgiveness, patience, energy,
contentment, truthfulness of speech, modesty, abstention from injury,
freedom from the evil practices called vyasana, and cleverness,--these
are productive of happiness. No creature is eternally subject to the
fruits of his good or bad acts. The man possessed of wisdom should always
strive to collect and fix his mind. One never has to enjoy or endure the
good and bad acts of another. Indeed, one enjoys and endures the fruits
of only those acts that one does oneself.
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