- Man, Centre of Creation
This is what we have forgotten - as Pope has said: "The proper study of man is Man."
In Man, too, God is the centre of his being.
If he is harmonised here, he is in harmony with the world and he promotes harmony.
If there is a discordant note within his own heart, he sows the seed of discord everywhere.
- Vanity
St. Francis of Assisi visited a town in which a very rich man lived.
This man wanted St. Francis' blessing, and knowing that the Saint was a humble man he threw off his costly robes and donned poor garments so that he should appear poor and humble.
He stood in front of St. Francis and asked for His blessing.
St. Francis looked at him and then said: "Your vanity shows through the holes in your robe".
Humility comes from the heart, not be creating an outward facade.
Particles are always attracted to a magnet but the attraction is stronger when the particles are clean.
- Body
Body is left behind by the soul which goes away in the vehicle of the Astral Body - but leaves even that behind when entering His Abode.
- Aparigraha
Freedom from Covetousness.
Aparigraha may logically be extended to include everything other than one's immediate personal needs - all else is expropriation.
Storing of grains is surely taking away what belongs to others.
Abandonment of private property is Aparigraha.
You plant sugarcane on farm and, as it grows, you cut it again and again because the farm belongs to you.
Are you justified?
All this is Parigraha or expropriation.
- Life and Death
The Sannyasi who thinks of the after-life does not think of "death".
In this life, he contemplates future life - eternal life.
He who lives only for this life, lives in death!
We should not tarry in negative - but jump to positive at once.