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Leading A Spiritual Life
every animal is peaceful. Animals attack only when
provoked or when they sense danger. Even when an
animal is provoked, it attacks not out of anger but as a
matter of self-defence. So long as it does not feel under
any kind of threat, it remains indifferent to whatever is
happening around it,
The same is true of humans. A human being is also
an animal in that he possesses all those traits natural
to animals. Man, too, does not attack merely for the
sake of attacking. When one person hits out at another,
he does so in self-defence. If a person is not provoked,
he remains unruffled. Therefore, if you are in earnest
about saving yourself from the violence of others,
follow this principle: Provoke no one. No one at all. In
other words, refrain from hurting anyone’s ego. One
who sedulously adheres to this principle will never have
to complain of violence from others. Violence breeds
violence and peace breeds peace. This is the simplest
and best formula in life.
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