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28
THE ART OF POSITIVE THINKING
the whole society and the government want that. And yet all thcsc evils continue to flourish. They seem to multiply despite our efforts to end them. Where do they get support from? Man is moving towards destruction. Evils are waxing strongevery minute. Why this retrogression? What perpetuates evil and how is it that man cannot cope with it? What is it that he lacks? That is the big question confronting us. It seems to me that we have never seriously gone into this question. Had we done so, we might have discovered the truth about it and resolved the issue long ago. But we seem to be concerned only with removing evil, not with understanding it. Violence is an effect, an outward manifestation. So is anger, so is all evil. A man hoards money or indulges in adulteration. These are mcrely consequences. We want to do away with a particular result, without understanding the cause thereof. As long as the cause is there, the effect is bound to follow. If the root is not dissolved, the result flowing therefrom would remain. Anger does not come of itself; behind it lies a particular disposition, and behind that the fundamental nature of the person concerned. The inner overcomes the outer. We cannot remove outward evil without bringing about a fundamental inner transformation.
The psychologists have analysed man's essential nature. A particular nature gives rise to certain tendencies, with certain consequences. All scriptures too speak not of mere outward change, but deep inner transformation. I have also posed this question before would-be ascetics—those who want to renounce family and home to become ascetics. "Is it possible," I asked, "to achieve non-violence or continence or non-acquisitiveness through an effort of will?" They say it can be done. We exercise our will. Wc determine not to indulge in violence or sex, not to tell a lie, not to steal, or not to be acquisitive.
Well, I resolve to do or not to do something. I take a vow, for example, not to tell a lie. But is that any guarantee that I will no more tell lics, or give way to anger? If one could ensure non-violence through mere exertion of one's will it would be wonderful. Each man would take a vow not to remain poor, to annihilate poverty-and there would be no more poverty! One could resolve to remove a particular evil, but mere resolution docs not cnd it. It would be wonderful if the mere utterance of a word could accomplish results. But the fact is that we have nomagic wand that would instantly bring forth all that we desire. Mere determination would not do.
The religious thinkers went into the matter and have offered a way--the disciplining of the mind, of the body and the tongue. With discipline comes fulfilment. If the mind is still, non-violence comes into being. If the mind is pure and still, continence follows; also nongreed. But if the mind is restless, if it wanders like a monkey, if it
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