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Leading A Spiritual Life

some needy person. There are many ways to help others
– being the well-wisher of others, giving good advice
to others, speaking only good of others, never taking
revenge, living in society as a civic-minded person –
all these are ways of being of help to others. Helping
others is, in reality, helping oneself. This is because
activity of this kind inspires positive thinking in the one
who performs it and results in the better development
of one’s personality. It makes one a giver-member of
society. Good behaviour towards individuals helps one
to behave well towards society at large.
It is a law of nature that everyone is born with his
own interests at heart. But, self-interest has its minus as
well as its plus points. On the plus side, it is self-interest
that works as a motivating force in the human world.
Without self-interest all activities would come to a halt.
This is the contributing aspect of self-interest. But there
is a minus point of self-interest. When a person does
something purely out of self-interest, it is but natural
that he would at all events very much like to take credit
for whatever it is that he has done. It is this phenomenon
of human nature, which is good for himself but bad for
the recipient of his good deed.

The fact is that this phenomenon is due to the law of
nature, and when it comes to the law of nature, one has
no option but to accept it. One has to accept that this is
the immutable reality. If one adopts a realistic approach
to this problem, it will give an instant benefit. That is,
it will make one tension-free and positive. In contrast
to this, if a person reacts, he will have to pay a double
price: first, in terms of the sad experience he will have

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