I WILL EXPLAIN TO YOU WHAT RIGHT ACTION IS AND, HAVING UNDERSTOOD IT, YOU WILL SAVE YOURSELF FROM EVIL, FROM THE ROUND OF BIRTHS AND DEATHS. » ———————————– GANDHI: OUR EYES ARE CLOSED WITH BLINDFOLDS, LIKE THOSE OF THE OX UNDER THE YOKE TURNING IN THE OIL PRESS. THIS BLINDFOLD IS NOT ETERNAL, BUT WE KEEP IT BECAUSE WE HAVE GROWN UP WITH IT AND SEE IT AS A NATURAL THING, AS FEAR, WHICH FOR US IS A NATURAL THING. THERE WAS A YOUNG LION CUB WHO HAD GROWN UP AMONG THE SHEEP AND HE WAS TREMBLING WITH FEAR JUST LIKE THEM. ONE DAY, A REAL LION APPEARED BEFORE HIM AND PUT A MIRROR IN FRONT OF HIS EYES. THE LION CUB STARTED ROARING AND LEFT THE SHEEP HERD ON THE SPOT. NO ONE HAD FORCED HIM TO WEAR A BLINDFOLD[THAT OF IGNORANCE] OVER HIS EYES, IT HAD JUST COME OF ITS OWN ACCORD. ———————————– IN THE SAME WAY, EACH OF US WEARS THE BLINDFOLD OF IGNORANCE OVER OUR EYES, AND WE DO NOT KNOW THAT IT IS NOT OUR DHARMA TO LIVE IN IGNORANCE, TO SUBMIT OURSELVES TO THE ROUND OF BIRTHS AND DEATHS. OUR DHARMA IS TO RISE EVER HIGHER, UNTIL WE CANNOT GO HIGHER. WE WILL NOT REST UNTIL WE REACH THE GOAL. ETERNAL PEACE WILL ONLY COME ONCE THE GOAL HAS BEEN ACHIEVED, THAT IS, THE PEACE OF LIBERATION. IF YOU ARE AT THE TOP OF THE HIMALAYAS, YOU ARE SURE TO FALL FROM IT, BECAUSE ONE DAY OR ANOTHER THE SUMMIT WILL COLLAPSE. IT WILL COLLAPSE BECAUSE IT IS ALSO SUBJECT TO CHANGE. IN THE MOKSHA STATE, THERE IS NO MORE CHANGE AND NO MORE FALLS. ———————————– MOKSHA MEANS THE DESTRUCTION OF THE CYCLE OF BIRTHS AND DEATHS, I.E. THE EXIT OF THIS CYCLE. IT MEANS DELIVERANCE FROM SUFFERING. IF WE MEET A WORTHY GURU, AND HE LOOSENS THE BLINDFOLD AND PLACES THE MIRROR OF KNOWLEDGE IN FRONT OF US, THEN WE WILL KNOW WHO WE ARE, WHETHER WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO GO FROM BIRTH TO DEATH OR WHETHER WE ARE DESTINED FOR SOMETHING ELSE. IN TRUTH, WE ARE DESTINED TO BE MUCH BETTER THAN ALWAYS BEING DRAGGED INTO THIS ROUND. WE BELONG TO A HIGHER PLANE. SO WE WILL BE READY FOR THIS FREEDOM WHEN THE DARKNESS OF IGNORANCE HAS DISAPPEARED. ———————————– NON-VIOLENCE ENSURES RESPECT FOR HUMAN DIGNITY AND MAKES IT POSSIBLE TO ADVANCE THE CAUSE OF PEACE, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE MOST CHERISHED WISHES OF HUMANITY. ———————————– MY RELIGION DOES NOT KNOW ANY EXCLUSIVE ONES: THE LEAST OF THE CREATURES HAS ITS PLACE IN THEM. IT DOES NOT TOLERATE CONTEMPT OR SEGREGATION, WHETHER ON THE BASIS OF RACE, RELIGION OR COLOUR. ———————————– I HAVE NOT SEEN GOD AND DO NOT KNOW HIM. I HAVE MADE MY OWN THE FAITH THAT THE WORLD HAS IN HIM. IT IS SO DEEPLY ROOTED IN ME THAT IT SEEMS TO ME AS CERTAIN AS A DIRECT EXPERIENCE. ———————————– WITH REGARD TO CHILDREN’S CURIOSITY ABOUT THE FACTS OF LIFE, WE SHOULD EXPLAIN THEM IF WE CAN, OR CONFESS OUR IGNORANCE IF WE CANNOT. WE MUST NEVER GIVE THEM FALSE PRETEXTS. THEY KNOW MORE THAN WE THINK THEY DO. ———————————– MOST OF THE TIME, IT IS BETTER TO KEEP QUIET ABOUT THE GOOD A MAN DOES. THE IMITATION OF THE MODEL IS THE MOST SINCERE FLATTERY. ———————————– LET US NOT CONFUSE WHAT IS NATURAL WITH WHAT IS USUAL. ———————————– BELIEVING IN SOMETHING AND NOT LIVING IT IS DISHONEST. ———————————– WHEN I MEET PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE WORLD, I INEVITABLY SEE THAT WE ARE ALL BASICALLY THE SAME: WE ARE ALL HUMAN BEINGS. WE CAN BE DRESSED DIFFERENTLY, HAVE A DIFFERENT SKIN COLOUR, SPEAK DIFFERENT LANGUAGES. SO MUCH FOR APPEARANCES. BUT FUNDAMENTALLY, WE ARE ALL THE SAME HUMAN BEINGS. THIS IS WHAT BINDS US TOGETHER, WHAT ALLOWS US TO UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER, TO BECOME FRIENDS, TO FEEL CLOSE TO EACH OTHER. DALAI LAMA ———————————– AT FIRST I FOUND TIME TO BE USEFUL IN A SMALL HOSPITAL, AT TWO HOURS IN THE MORNING COUNTING THE TRIPS TO AND FROM THERE. THIS WORK MADE ME FEEL A LITTLE MORE COMFORTABLE. I WOULD ASK PATIENTS WHAT THEY WERE COMPLAINING ABOUT AND THEN FORWARD THESE INSTRUCTIONS TO THE DOCTOR AND ENSURE THAT THE PRESCRIPTIONS WERE FILLED. IT BROUGHT ME CLOSER TO ALL THOSE INDIANS WHO WERE SUFFERING. MOST OF THEM WERE TAMILS, TELUGUS OR NORTH INDIANS, WHO WORKED UNDER CONTRACT. I GAINED EXPERIENCE THAT WAS VERY USEFUL TO ME DURING THE BOER WAR, WHEN I PROVIDED MY SERVICES TO HEAL WOUNDED AND SICK SOLDIERS. ———————————– I AM CONVINCED THAT TO RAISE YOUR CHILDREN PROPERLY, YOU HAVE TO KNOW HOW TO CARE FOR A BABY. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, I HAVE SEEN THE ADVANTAGES OF CAREFULLY STUDYING ALL THESE ISSUES. IF I HAD NEGLECTED THIS POINT AND NOT BEEN ABLE TO USE MY KNOWLEDGE, MY CHILDREN WOULD NOT ENJOY SUCH GOOD HEALTH TODAY. WE ARE VICTIMS OF A KIND OF SUPERSTITION THAT MAKES US BELIEVE THAT THE CHILD HAS NOTHING TO LEARN FOR THE FIRST FIVE YEARS OF HIS LIFE. THE OPPOSITE IS TRUE, BECAUSE AFTER THAT, THE CHILD WILL NEVER HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN THE LESSONS WE LEARN IN THE FIRST FIVE YEARS. HIS EDUCATION BEGINS THE VERY DAY OF HIS CONCEPTION ———————————– RELIGIONS ARE LIKE DIFFERENT ROADS CONVERGING TOWARDS THE SAME POINT. IT DOESN’T MATTER IF WE TAKE DIFFERENT PATHS, AS LONG AS WE ACHIEVE THE SAME GOAL. ———————————– THE WEAK CANNOT FORGIVE. FORGIVENESS IS THE PREROGATIVE OF THE FORT. ———————————– WHOEVER WANTS TO SWIM IN THE OCEAN OF TRUTH, MUST REDUCE HIMSELF TO ZERO. ———————————– LIFE PERSISTS WITHIN THE VERY HEART OF DESTRUCTION. ———————————– THE TOUGHEST FIBER MUST SOFTEN IN THE FIRE OF LOVE. IF IT DOESN’T MELT, IT’S BECAUSE THE FIRE ISN’T STRONG ENOUGH ———————————– FASTING IS ONLY ONE WAY TO CONTROL YOURSELF. IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO HAVE YOUR BODY FAST. YOU MUST ALSO SUBMIT YOUR MIND TO IT ———————————– WHENEVER YOU ARE IN DOUBT, DO THE FOLLOWING TEST: REMEMBER THE POOREST AND WEAKEST PERSON YOU HAVE EVER MET IN YOUR LIFE AND ASK YOURSELF IF WHAT YOU ARE ABOUT TO DO WILL BE OF ANY USE TO THEM. ———————————– THE END IS WORTH WHAT THE MEANS ARE WORTH. ———————————– THE RICH SHOULD TAKE THE INITIATIVE TO STRIP THEMSELVES OF EVERYTHING IN ORDER TO SPREAD THE SPIRIT OF CONTENTMENT. ———————————– THE MIND SLUMBERS IN THE BRUTE AND THAT IS WHY IT ONLY KNOWS THE LAW OF PHYSICAL FORCE. THE DIGNITY OF MAN REQUIRES OBEDIENCE TO A HIGHER LAW, TO THE STRENGTH OF THE SPIRIT. ———————————– I HAVE NO INTENTION OF UNDERTAKING A REAL AUTOBIOGRAPHY HERE. I WOULD SIMPLY LIKE TO TELL THE STORY OF MY MANY EXPERIENCES WITH THE TRUTH; AND AS THEY MERGE WITH MY LIFE, IT IS TRUE THAT THIS STORY WILL TAKE THE FORM OF AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY. ———————————– THE WISE MAN ONLY RETAINS WHAT IS GOOD ABOUT EVERYTHING AND REJECTS WHAT IS BAD. ———————————– OUR REWARD IS IN THE EFFORT AND NOT IN THE RESULT. ———————————– LIFE ONLY DISPENSES ALL ITS GIFTS ON THE DAY WHEN ONE IS INITIATED INTO THE ART OF LIVING NOBLY. ———————————– MAN IS A SOCIAL BEING. IF HE HAS NO RELATIONSHIP WITH SOCIETY, HE CAN NEITHER BECOME AWARE OF HIS UNITY WITH THE UNIVERSE NOR DEPRIVE HIMSELF OF HIS SELFISHNESS. IT IS HIS SOCIAL INTERDEPENDENCE THAT ALLOWS HIM TO TEST HIS FAITH AND TO MEASURE HIMSELF AGAINST THE TOUCHSTONE OF REALITY. ———————————– TO STRENGTHEN THE ARMOR, FASTING IS AS NECESSARY AS DEPRIVING YOURSELF OF CERTAIN FOODS. THE SENSES ARE SO TYRANNICAL THAT THEY CAN ONLY BE PERFECTLY CONTROLLED IF THEY ARE SURROUNDED BY FENCES ON ALL SIDES. ———————————– IF THOUGHT IS NOT CONTROLLED, THE REST GOES TO DRIFT. (…) EVERYTHING IS ONLY CHILD’S PLAY WHEN YOU HOLD THE REINS OF YOUR MIND. ———————————– YOU DON’T NECESSARILY HAVE TO BE SILENT BECAUSE YOU KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT. WE MAY HAVE BEEN CUT OFF OUR TONGUES WITHOUT KNOWING THE TRUE SILENCE. THE SILENT MAN IS THE ONE WHO, HAVING THE POSSIBILITY TO SPEAK, NEVER SAYS ONE WORD TOO MANY. ———————————– EXPERIENCE HAS SHOWN ME (…) THAT SILENCE IS PART OF THE DISCIPLINE THAT MUST BE IMPOSED ON THOSE WHO HAVE VOWED TO SERVE THE TRUTH. MAN IS NATURALLY INCLINED TO EXAGGERATE, DISTORT OR CONCEAL FACTS, EVEN WITHOUT HIS KNOWLEDGE. SILENCE IS NECESSARY TO OVERCOME THESE WEAKNESSES. THE WORDS OF A STINGY MAN IN WORDS ARE RARELY MEANINGLESS. EVERY WORD, IN THIS CASE, CARRIES. ———————————– CIVILIZATION, IN THE TRUE SENSE OF THE WORD, DOES NOT CONSIST IN MULTIPLYING NEEDS, BUT IN VOLUNTARILY LIMITING THEM. IT IS THE ONLY WAY TO EXPERIENCE TRUE HAPPINESS AND MAKE OURSELVES MORE AVAILABLE TO OTHERS ———————————– YOU CAN NEVER PREDICT THE RESULTS OF AN ACTION. BUT IF YOU DO NOTHING, THERE WILL BE NO RESULT. ———————————– DO NOT FOLLOW THE PATH OF OTHERS. GO INSTEAD WHERE THERE IS NO PATH AND DRAW A TRAIL. ———————————– WE BECOME STRONG BY PRESERVING OR SUBLIMATING THE ENERGY THAT CREATED LIFE. WE CONTINUALLY AND EVEN UNCONSCIOUSLY WASTE THIS ENERGY BY FEEDING CONFUSED AND UNWANTED THOUGHTS. ———————————– IF WE WANT TO BECOME NON-VIOLENT, WE MUST WISH TO HAVE NOTHING MORE ON EARTH THAN THE SMALLEST IN THE WORLD. ———————————– I DON’T LIKE THE WORD TOLERANCE, BUT I CAN’T THINK OF A BETTER WORD. ———————————– HUMILITY SHOULD MAKE THE ONE WHO POSSESSES IT UNDERSTAND THAT HE IS NOTHING. AS SOON AS YOU IMAGINE YOU’RE SOMETHING, THERE’S SELFISHNESS. IF THOSE WHO OBSERVE RULES ARE PROUD OF THEM, THE RULES WILL LOSE MUCH OF THEIR VALUE, IF NOT ALL OF THEM…. TO FEEL THAT WE ARE SOMETHING IS TO BUILD A BARRIER BETWEEN GOD AND OURSELVES. TO STOP FEELING THAT WE ARE SOMETHING IS TO BECOME ONE WITH GOD. A DROP OF WATER IN THE OCEAN HAS ITS SHARE OF THE IMMENSITY OF THE WHOLE, ALTHOUGH IT IS NOT AWARE OF IT. BUT IT EVAPORATES AS SOON AS IT ENTERS A LIFE INDEPENDENT OF THAT OF THE OCEAN. WE ARE NOT EXAGGERATING WHEN WE SAY THAT LIFE ON EARTH IS ONLY A BUBBLE. ———————————– I AM FULL OF ADMIRATION FOR WESTERN SCIENCE; BUT I AM OUTRAGED TO SEE SCIENTISTS MISTREATING OTHER CREATURES. VIVISECTION INSPIRES ME WITH AN UNNAMED HORROR. ———————————– I CONSIDER THIS MASSACRE OF INNOCENT LIVES, ALLEGEDLY PERPETRATED IN THE NAME OF SCIENCE AND IN THE INTEREST OF HUMANITY, TO BE UNFORGIVABLE. I DENY ANY VALUE TO SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERIES SOILED BY INNOCENT BLOOD. ———————————– HUMANITY COULD VERY WELL HAVE DISCOVERED THE THEORY OF BLOOD CIRCULATION WITHOUT VIVISECTION. BUT I SEE THE DAY COMING WHEN THE HONEST SCIENTIST WILL BE RELUCTANT TO USE SUCH RESEARCH METHODS ———————————– MAN IS MASTER OF HIS DESTINY IN THE SENSE THAT HE IS FREE TO CHOOSE HOW TO USE HIS FREEDOM. BUT HE HAS NO CONTROL OVER THE CONSEQUENCES OF HIS DECISION. AS SOON AS HE STARTS TO BELIEVE THAT HE HAS SOME CONTROL, HE GOES STRAIGHT TO FAILURE. ———————————– I OPPOSE VIOLENCE BECAUSE WHEN IT SEEMS TO PRODUCE GOOD, THE RESULTING GOOD IS ONLY TRANSITORY, WHILE THE EVIL PRODUCED IS PERMANENT. ———————————– IT IS A MISTAKE TO BELIEVE NECESSARILY WRONG WHAT YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND. ———————————– NO HUMAN BEING IS TOO BAD TO BE SAVED. NO HUMAN BEING IS PERFECT ENOUGH TO HAVE THE RIGHT TO KILL ANYONE HE WRONGLY CONSIDERS TO BE ENTIRELY EVIL. ———————————– YOU ARE THE ONE WHO WILL CHANGE WHAT YOU WANT TO CHANGE IN THE WORLD. ———————————– EVERYONE MUST HAVE AT LEAST ENOUGH TO SUPPORT THEMSELVES. ———————————– TRUE STRENGTH IS NOT OF PHYSICAL ORIGIN. IT COMES FROM AN INDOMITABLE WILL. ———————————– I CAN’T FENCE ALL FOUR SIDES OF MY HOUSE OR WALL MY WINDOWS. I WANT THE SPIRIT OF ALL CULTURES TO BLOW THROUGH ME AS FREELY AS POSSIBLE. ———————————– GOD IS THE GREATEST DEMOCRAT THE WORLD HAS EVER KNOWN, BECAUSE TO BETTER LET US CHOOSE BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL, HE DOES NOT EXERT THE SLIGHTEST PRESSURE ON OUR FREEDOM. ———————————– THE WHOLE WORLD IS LIKE THE HUMAN BODY WITH ITS MEMBERS. PAIN FELT IN ONE LIMB IS FELT THROUGHOUT THE BODY. IF ONE PART STARTS TO ROT, THE WHOLE SYSTEM WILL INEVITABLY BE POISONED. ———————————– YOU CAN ONLY BEAT YOUR OPPONENT THROUGH LOVE AND NOT THROUGH HATRED. ———————————– WHEN THE WAR BROKE OUT BETWEEN THE ENGLISH AND THE BOERS, MY SYMPATHY WENT TO THE LATTER. BUT THEN I THOUGHT I HAD NO RIGHT, IN SUCH CIRCUMSTANCES, TO TAKE MY PERSONAL CONVICTIONS INTO ACCOUNT. ———————————– THERE IS NO EXAMPLE OF A DESIRE OF THE HEART, IF IT IS PURE IN ITS IMPATIENCE, NOT BEING FULFILLED. MY OWN EXPERIENCE HAS OFTEN ALLOWED ME TO VERIFY THIS RULE. SERVING THE POOR IS WHAT MY HEART HAS DESIRED, AND I HAVE ALWAYS FOUND MYSELF MINGLED WITH THE POOR AND ABLE TO IDENTIFY WITH THEM ———————————– THE GOLDEN RULE OF CONDUCT IS MUTUAL TOLERANCE, BECAUSE WE WILL NEVER ALL THINK THE SAME WAY, WE WILL ONLY SEE PART OF THE TRUTH AND FROM DIFFERENT ANGLES. ———————————– AS SOON AS SOMEONE UNDERSTANDS THAT IT IS CONTRARY TO HIS HUMAN DIGNITY TO OBEY UNJUST LAWS, NO TYRANNY CAN ENSLAVE HIM. ———————————– THE TRUE DEMOCRAT IS THE ONE WHO, THROUGH PURELY NON-VIOLENT MEANS, DEFENDS HIS FREEDOM, CONSEQUENTLY THAT OF HIS COUNTRY AND ULTIMATELY THAT OF ALL HUMANITY. ———————————– ALL MEN ARE BROTHERS. ———————————– THE TRUE DEMOCRAT IS THE ONE WHO, THROUGH PURELY NON-VIOLENT MEANS, DEFENDS HIS FREEDOM, CONSEQUENTLY THAT OF HIS COUNTRY AND ULTIMATELY THAT OF ALL HUMANITY. ———————————– AFTER NEARLY THIRTY-FIVE YEARS OF UNINTERRUPTED POLITICAL ACTIVITY, I FEEL FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART THAT THE WORLD IS TIRED OF WATCHING BLOODSHED. HE’S LOOKING FOR A WAY OUT…. ———————————– CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE BECOMES A SACRED DUTY WHEN THE STATE BECOMES OUTLAWED, OR, SIMILARLY, CORRUPT. ———————————– IT WAS IN PORBANDAR THAT MY CHILDHOOD WAS SPENT. I REMEMBER BEING SENT TO SCHOOL THERE. MY ONLY MEMORY OF THAT TIME IS THAT I LEARNED, ALONG WITH OTHER BOYS, TO CALL OUR MASTER WITH ALL KINDS OF NAMES – WHICH WOULD STRONGLY SUGGEST THAT MY INTELLIGENCE SHOULD BE LAZY, AND MY MEMORY GROSS. ———————————– WHEN WHAT YOU THINK, WHAT YOU SAY, WHAT YOU DO, ARE IN HARMONY, HAPPINESS BELONGS TO YOU ———————————– BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE IN THE WORLD. ———————————– THE TRUTH IS THAT IN INDIA, THE NATION IN GENERAL HAS USED PASSIVE RESISTANCE IN ALL AREAS OF LIFE. WE NO LONGER COOPERATE WITH THE DOMINANT POWERS WHEN THEY DO NOT MEET OUR NEEDS. ———————————– BELIEVING IN SOMETHING AND NOT LIVING IT IS DISHONEST. ———————————– TRUTH NEVER PREJUDICES A JUST CAUSE. ———————————– IT IS A MISTAKE TO BELIEVE THAT THERE IS NO CONNECTION BETWEEN THE END AND THE MEANS, AND THIS ERROR HAS LED MEN CONSIDERED AS BELIEVERS TO COMMIT TERRIBLE CRIMES. IT’S LIKE SAYING THAT BY PLANTING WEEDS YOU CAN HARVEST ROSES. ———————————– THE STRENGTH OF THE NUMBER ONLY REPLAYS THE FEARFUL. HE WHO IS BRAVE IN SPIRIT MAKES HIMSELF GLORIOUS BY FIGHTING ALONE. ———————————– WHEN IT COMES TO CHOOSING BETWEEN FREEDOM AND SCHOLARSHIP, WHO CAN DENY THAT ONE SHOULD PREFER THE FORMER A THOUSAND TIMES OVER THE LATTER? ———————————– MY LIFE FORMS AN INSEPARABLE WHOLE: THE SAME MINE UNITES ALL MY ACTIONS. THEY ALL HAVE THEIR SOURCE IN AN UNQUENCHABLE LOVE FOR HUMANITY ———————————– THE ECONOMIC SYSTEM THAT DESPISES MORAL VALUES IS UNFAIR. ———————————– MALE AND FEMALE, EACH IS COMPLEMENTARY TO THE OTHER. ———————————– THE VICTORY OBTAINED BY VIOLENCE IS EQUIVALENT TO A DEFEAT, BECAUSE IT IS MOMENTARY. ———————————– THE PROBLEM WITH LYING IS THAT YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER YOUR LIES. ———————————– THERE ARE TIMES WHEN YOU HAVE TO OBEY A CALL THAT IS THE HIGHEST OF ALL THAT IS THE VOICE OF CONSCIENCE, EVEN IF SUCH OBEDIENCE CAN COST A BITTER TEAR AND EVEN MORE, THE SEPARATION OF FRIENDS, FAMILY BELONG TO EVERYTHING YOU HAVE HELD DEAR THAN LIFE ITSELF. FOR THIS REASON, OBEDIENCE IS THE LAW OF OUR BEING. ———————————– THE MAN MUST CHOOSE ONE OF THE TWO COURSES, THE HIGH OR THE LOW; BUT AS HE HAS THE BRUTE IN HIM, HE WILL CHOOSE THE RACE DOWN MORE EASILY THAN UP, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE LOW COURSE IS PRESENTED TO HIM UNDER A BEAUTIFUL DRESS. MAN EASILY SURRENDERS WHEN SIN IS PRESENTED IN THE FORM OF VIRTUE. ———————————– A COLLECTION OF QUOTES AND TEACHINGS FROM MAHATMA GANDHI ———————————– KNOWLEDGE COMES SPONTANEOUSLY TO A BHAKTA. HE DOESN’T HAVE TO GO THROUGH LARGE VOLUMES. BUT WHOEVER BELIEVES THAT HE WILL FIRST ACQUIRE KNOWLEDGE AND CULTIVATE BHAKTI WILL FAIL MISERABLY IN HIS GOAL. NO ONE CAN ACQUIRE KNOWLEDGE IN THIS WAY. SUCH KNOWLEDGE GENERATES, IF ANYTHING, PRIDE. BUT HE WHO LOVINGLY CULTIVATES DEVOTION TO THE LORD AND CONSTANTLY THINKS OF HIM OBTAINS KNOWLEDGE WITHOUT ANY PARTICULAR EFFORT TO THIS END. ———————————– BUT THE DESIRELESS OR RENUNCIATION DOES NOT COME JUST TO TALK ABOUT IT. IT IS NOT ACHIEVED BY INTELLECTUAL ACHIEVEMENT. IT CAN ONLY BE REACHED BY CONSTANT HEART LOSS. GOOD KNOWLEDGE IS NECESSARY TO ACHIEVE RENUNCIATION. EDUCATED MEN HAVE A KNOWLEDGE OF A KIND. THEY CAN RECITE THE VEDAS FROM MEMORY, BUT THEY CAN BE IMMERSED IN INDULGENCE. SO THAT KNOWLEDGE WOULD NOT BE UNLEASHED, THE AUTHOR OF THE BHAGAVAD GITA INSISTED THAT DEVOTION SHOULD ACCOMPANY HIM AND GAVE HIM FIRST PLACE. KNOWLEDGE WITHOUT DEVOTION WILL BE LIKE A FAILURE. THEREFORE, SAYS THE GITA, DEVOTION AND KNOWLEDGE WILL FOLLOW.” THEREFORE, SAYS THE GITA, “WILL DEVOTION AND KNOWLEDGE FOLLOW?