Let’s perfect ourselves – The Economic Times

We only get what we deserve. It is a lie when we say, the world is bad and we are good. It can never be so. It is a terrible lie we tell ourselves. This is the first lesson to learn: be determined not to curse anything outside, not to lay the blame upon any one outside, but be a man, stand up, lay the blame on yourself. You will find, that is always true.

Is it not a shame that at one moment we talk so much of our manhood, of our being gods – that we know everything, but a little stone hurts us, a little anger from a little Jack wounds us – any fool in the street makes ‘these gods’ miserable!… The very fact that you complain and want to lay the blame upon the external world shows that you feel the external world. You only make your offence greater by heaping misery upon misery, by imagining that the external world is hurting you.

We are to take care of ourselves – that much we can do. Let us perfect the means; the end will take care of itself. For the world can be good and pure, only if our lives are good and pure. It is an effect, and we are the means. Therefore, let us purify ourselves. Let us make ourselves perfect.

January 12 is Vivekananda Jayanti