Page 48 - Non-violence and peace-building

Desist from Intolerance

violate this principle in the desire for obtaining the
opportunities that you do not possess, you will only
lose the opportunities that you presently enjoy. If you
launch an agitation to topple the political authorities
who allow you to work in the non-political field, the
latter will perceive you as their enemy, and, using the
power at their disposal, can easily suppress you. If your
opponent is strong and commits some excesses against
you and you fail to tolerate this, deadly violence will
break out, which will play havoc with your entire life.
Such are the perils of allowing yourself to lose your
patience and tolerance.

Whenever you want to start some work, you will
almost inevitably have to face complaints from others.
You will have to contend with stiff opposition. Now, if
you give importance to every complaint and every sort
of hurt or damage caused to you by your opponents,
you will inevitably start fighting with them. You will
leave aside your real task, being so taken up in opposing
them.
Suppose those who are on the path of truth do not
abide by patience and tolerance and somehow still
manage to acquire dominance in society. In such a
situation, because of their lack of preparation, they will
not be able to maintain this position for long. They will
start fighting among themselves. If they had not focused
on the task of purifying and developing their character,
after grabbing political power they will promote strife
and conflict, not peace and progress.

If people on the path of truth have not developed the

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