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"Character - the balance of the
inner and the outer tendencies of existence."
Sow an act, you reap a habit; sow a habit, you reap a character;
sow a character, you reap a destiny. A good character is,
in all cases, the fruit of personal exertion. It is not
inherited from parents; it is not created by external advantages;
it is the result of one's own endeavours - the fruit and
reward of good principles manifested in the course of virtuous
and honourable action. A good heart, benevolent feelings
and a balanced mind lie as the foundation of character.
It must be capable of standing firm in the world of daily
work, temptation and trial and be able to bear the wear
and tear of actual life.
My Master was always emphasizing that more than love and
devotion - which are very necessary you see - character
is necessary. In fact he quoted Lalaji who has said, "Even
the highest evolved person is not really evolved if he has
no character." It is an illusionary evolution. It is
an evolution without becoming his. It is like a man having
money which he loses and he is again without money. It is
not something which is part of you. It is not something,
as the Upanishad says, which cannot be robbed, which cannot
be stolen, which cannot be lost, which even death cannot
separate us from. To make that ours, we need the binding
force of character which keeps the spiritual content, the
wealth that the Master has bestowed upon us as ours.
You cannot borrow character from somebody like you can
borrow money. Anything that a human being values must be
his. His in such a way that it is always his. It is his
during sleep. It is his when he is awake. It is his when
he is at home, when he is abroad. No passports, no money
no travelers' cheques. These are all things which are stolen,
lost, destroyed. So a character has to be a personal character.
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