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The Law of Conversion
this so? This comes about as a consequence of following
a law of nature. When one commits a bad deed, it
instantly affects one’s conscience. It activates a process
of rethinking about one’s behaviour. This rethinking
leads to acknowledging one’s mistake, and this in turn
leads to self-correction. Thus, a bad deed is converted
into something good.
Moreover, this process is not purely mechanical, but
one of active re-assessment, which stirs up the entire
workings of the mind, so that the faculties that were
hitherto in a dormant state now come to life. This
leads to creativity and further intellectual development.
Ultimately, a new personality emerges.
When man is born he is like ore – in a raw state.
Potentially, ore is steel, but for this raw material to
be converted into steel, it has first to go through an
industrial process. Only after this process has been
completed does the ore emerge as steel. And, then with
further processing, it takes the form of various kinds
of machinery. The same is true of man. Man is born
with great potential. But turning this potential into
actuality likewise requires his undergoing a process –
a psychological process. What activates this process is
having experiences which give him a rude awakening.
Some such experiences could be the committing of bad
deeds, which, for an awakened mind, can be traumatic.
But a bad deed is not just a bad deed. It is, in fact,
like a wake-up call or a psychological challenge. For a
morally aware person, his bad deeds become the kind
of challenge that leads to all kinds of spiritual and
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