Peaceful, Pleasant Pastures

He who aspires to the bettering of himself and humanity should ceaselessly strive to arrive at the exercise of that blessed attitude of mind by which he is enabled to put himself, mentally and sympathetically in the place of others, and so, instead of harshly and falsely judging them, and thereby making himself unhappy without adding to the happiness of those others, he will enter into their experience, will understand their particular frame of mind, and will feel for them and sympathize with them.

Anyone who hopes to improve themselves and humanity should constantly strive to develop a blessed attitude of mind. It allows them to imagine themselves in others’ places with sympathy. Instead of judging others harshly and falsely, they will share their experiences and understand their particular state of mind. They will feel for them and sympathize with them. Harsh, false judgment only makes the person judging unhappy, without adding to the happiness of others.

One of the great obstacles to the attainment of such an attitude of mind is prejudice, and until this is removed it is impossible to act toward others as we would wish others to act toward us.

One of the great obstacles to developing such an attitude is prejudice. Until we overcome prejudice, we cannot treat others as we would want them to treat us.

Prejudice is destructive of kindness, sympathy, love, and true judgment, and the strength of a man's prejudice will be the measure of his harshness and unkindness toward others, for prejudice and cruelty are inseparable.

Prejudice destroys kindness, sympathy, love, and sound judgment. The stronger a man's prejudice, the harsher and more unkind he will be toward others. This is because prejudice and cruelty are inseparable.

There is no rationality in prejudice, and immediately it is aroused in a man he ceases to act as a reasonable being, and gives way to rashness, anger, and injurious excitement. He does not consider his words nor regard the feelings and liberties of those against whom his prejudices are directed. He has, for the time being, forfeited his manhood, and has descended to the level of an irrational creature.

There is nothing rational about prejudice. As soon as a man gives in to prejudice, he stops acting reasonably. He becomes rash and angry and gives in to harmful excitement. He does not think about what he says or respect the feelings and freedoms of those he is prejudiced against. For the time being, he has given up his humanity and descended to the level of an irrational creature.

While a man is determined to cling to his preconceived opinions, mistaking them for Truth, and refuses to consider dispassionately the position of others, he cannot escape hatred nor arrive at blessedness.

As long as a man clings to his existing opinions, mistaking them for truth, and refuses to consider others’ views calmly, he cannot escape hatred or find blessedness.

The man who strives after gentleness, who aspires to act unselfishly toward others, will put away all his passionate prejudices and petty opinions, and will gradually acquire the power of thinking and feeling for others, of understanding their particular state of ignorance or knowledge, and thereby entering fully into their hearts and lives, sympathizing with them, and seeing them as they are.

A man who strives to be gentle and act unselfishly toward others will set aside all his passionate prejudices and petty opinions. He will gradually learn to think and feel for others and understand what each person knows or does not know. In this way, he will fully enter into their hearts and lives, sympathize with them, and see them as they are.

Such a man will not oppose himself to the prejudices of others by introducing his own, but will seek to allay prejudice by introducing sympathy and love, striving to bring out all that is good in men, encouraging the good by appealing to it, and discouraging the evil by ignoring it. He will realise the good in the unselfish efforts of others, though their outward methods may be very different from his own, and will so rid his heart of hatred, and will fill it with love and blessedness.

Such a man will not fight the prejudices of others with his own prejudices. Instead, he will seek to ease prejudice through sympathy and love. He will strive to bring out all that is good in people, encouraging the good by appealing to it and discouraging evil by ignoring it. He will recognize the good in the selfless efforts of others, though their methods may look very different from his own. In this way, he will rid his heart of hatred and fill it with love and blessedness.

When a man is prone to harshly judge and condemn others, he should inquire how far he falls short himself; he should also reconsider those periods of suffering when he himself was misjudged and misunderstood, and, gathering wisdom and love from his own bitter experience, should studiously and self-sacrificingly refrain from piercing with anguish hearts that are as yet too weak to ignore, too immature and uninstructed to understand.

When a man tends to judge and condemn others harshly, he should ask how far he falls short himself. He should also recall the times he suffered because others misjudged and misunderstood him. He should draw wisdom and love from his own bitter experience. Then he should make every effort, even at personal cost, not to cause anguish to others. Their hearts may still be too weak to ignore such judgments, and they may be too immature and inexperienced to understand them.

Sympathy is not required towards those who are purer and more enlightened than one's self, as the purer one lives above the necessity for it. In such a case reverence should be exercised, with a striving to lift one's self up to the purer level, and so enter into possession of the larger life. Nor can a man fully understand one who is wiser than himself, and before condemning, he should earnestly ask himself whether he is, after all, better than the man whom he has singled out as the object of his bitterness. If he is, let him bestow sympathy. If he is not, let him exercise reverence.

We do not need to feel sympathy for those who are purer and more enlightened than we are. The purer person lives above the need for sympathy. Instead, we should show reverence and strive to rise to their purer level. In doing so, we can share in the larger life. Nor can a person fully understand someone wiser than themselves. Before condemning someone, a person should seriously ask whether they are truly better than the person they resent. If they are, they should offer sympathy. If not, they should show reverence.

For thousands of years the sages have taught, both by precept and example, that evil is only overcome by good, yet still that lesson, for the majority, remains unlearned. It is a lesson profound in its simplicity, and difficult to learn because men are blinded by the illusions of self. Men are still engaged in resenting, condemning, and fighting the evil in their fellow-men, thereby increasing the delusion in their own hearts, and adding to the world's sum of misery and suffering. When they find out that their own resentment must be eradicated, and love put in its place, evil will perish for lack of sustenance.

For thousands of years, sages have taught through words and example that only good can overcome evil. Yet most people still have not learned this lesson. It is a profoundly simple lesson, but difficult to learn because people are blinded by the illusions of self. People still resent, condemn, and fight the evil in others. In doing so, they deepen the delusion in their own hearts and add to the world's misery and suffering. When they realize that they must root out their own resentment and replace it with love, evil will perish for lack of nourishment.

Dislike, resentment, and condemnation are all forms of hatred, and evil cannot cease until these are taken out of the heart.

Dislike, resentment, and condemnation are all forms of hatred. Evil cannot end until these feelings are removed from the heart.

But the obliterating of injuries from the mind is merely one of the beginnings in wisdom. There is a still higher and better way. And that way is so to purify the heart and enlighten the mind that, far from having to forget injuries, there will be none to remember. For it is only pride and self that can be injured and wounded by the actions and attitudes of others; and he who takes pride and self out of his heart can never think the thought, "I have been injured by another," or "I have been wronged by another."

But forgetting hurts is only one of the first steps toward wisdom. There is a higher and better way. It is to purify the heart and enlighten the mind so completely that there are no hurts to remember, let alone forget. For only pride and the sense of self can be hurt by the actions and attitudes of others. Anyone who removes pride and self from the heart can never think, "Another person has hurt me," or "Another person has wronged me."

From a purified heart proceeds the right comprehension of things; and from the right comprehension of things proceeds the life that is peaceful, freed from bitterness and suffering, calm and wise. He who thinks, "This man has injured me," has not perceived the Truth in life; falls short of that enlightenment which disperses the erroneous idea of evil as a thing to be hatefully resented. He who is troubled and disturbed about the sins of others is far from Truth; he who is troubled and disturbed about his own sins is very near to the Gate of Wisdom. He in whose heart the flames of resentment burn, cannot know Peace nor understand Truth; he who will banish resentment from his heart, will know and understand.

A pure heart leads to a right understanding of things. This understanding leads to a peaceful life, free from bitterness and suffering, calm and wise. Anyone who thinks, "This man has hurt me," has not understood the Truth of life. He lacks the enlightenment that dispels the mistaken idea that evil is something to resent and hate. Anyone who is troubled and disturbed by the sins of others is far from Truth. Anyone who is troubled and disturbed by his own sins is very near the Gate of Wisdom. Anyone whose heart burns with resentment cannot know Peace or understand Truth. Anyone who drives resentment from his heart will know Peace and understand Truth.

He who has taken evil out of his own heart cannot resent or resist it in others, for he is enlightened as to its origin and nature, and knows it as a manifestation of the mistakes of ignorance. With the increase of enlightenment, sin becomes impossible. He who sins, does not understand; he who understands, does not sin.

A person who has removed evil from his own heart cannot resent or resist it in others. He understands its origin and nature, and knows that it comes from the mistakes of ignorance. As understanding grows, sin becomes impossible. A person who sins does not understand. A person who understands does not sin.

The pure man maintains his tenderness of heart toward those who ignorantly imagine they can do him harm. The wrong attitude of others toward him does not trouble him; his heart is at rest in Compassion and Love.

The pure man remains kindhearted toward those who mistakenly believe they can harm him. Their wrong attitude toward him does not trouble him. His heart is at rest in compassion and love.

Blessed is he who has no wrongs to remember, no injuries to forget; in whose pure heart no hateful thought about another can take root and flourish.

Blessed is the person who has no wrongs to remember and no hurts to forget. In a pure heart, no hateful thought about another person can take root and grow.

Let those who aim at the right life, who believe that they love Truth, cease to passionately oppose them-selves to others, and Jet them strive to calmly and wisely understand them, and in thus acting toward others they will be conquering themselves; and while sympathizing with others, their own souls will be fed with the heavenly dews of kindness, and their hearts be strengthened and refreshed in the pleasant Pastures of Peace.

Those who seek to live rightly and believe they love Truth should stop passionately opposing others. Instead, they should try to understand others calmly and wisely. By doing so, they will conquer themselves. As they sympathize with others, their own souls will be nourished by the heavenly dew of kindness. Their hearts will be strengthened and refreshed in the pleasant pastures of peace.