Once a saint told a drunkard to give up drinking otherwise his body would go on shrinking and one day he would be as small as a rat. He told his wife what the saint had told him and that in that case, she should not let a cat come near him. What is meant is that the fellow would not give up drinking even if he turned a mouse. The devotees pay full attention to the holy thoughts and live up to the same. Is it possible that a True Master’s teachings would be harmful or misguiding? If these teachings are beneficial and we do not follow the same, it meant that we do not wish to benefit ourselves. Holy beings have always endeavoured to teach us to imbibe the spirit of humility and learning but we imbibe pride and consider ourselves wise. We suffer a lot if we are afflicted with a malady. A little thorn makes us restless as long as it pricks the body. Again, a grit in the shoe pinches us till we throw it out. The mind is afflicted by so many maladies which do not allow one to have peace (of mind). Pride is a serious affliction. Those, who imbibe pride, tend to suppress and oppress others; they are sadists. In other words, the devotees do not suppress or oppress others. They discharge their duties and sublimate their lives. May God bless all with the wisdom and strength to tread the right path and sublimate themselves. It is said: With your own help, you have to lift up yourself.

A selfish person thinks only of his own interests, while a devotee thinks of the welfare of all. Imbibing humanism, a devotee thinks of the welfare of all. Imbued with humanism, a devotee thinks of the welfare of the entire humanity. He too thinks of the interest of his family but before that he thinks of the well-being of the society and strives therefore. Today too, the devotees think and work for the welfare of the society and the country. On the contrary, a worldly person is selfish. He is not prepared to own anyone except his own relations. Can such a person think of the welfare of the entire humanity? For his self interest, he will not hesitate to ruin the society or sell the country. He is ever ready to stab. He is a bundle of desires and ambitions and remains busy in fulfilling the same. He will always exploit others. Thus he thinks of himself alone. Once a teacher asked his student what would happen if there were no rain for a long time? The student, whose father had an umbrella shop replied: I know what will happen. If it does not rain, the umbrellas would not be sold. The student could not think that if there were no rains, there would be drought, no water to drink; animals would die and crops would be damaged and destroyed. Consequently, there would be a horrible situation. But the student could not think beyond the umbrellas at his father’s shop.