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ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES & CHANGE OF HEART
95
are most active at any particular time. The full development of individuality is very much allccted by secretions from the endocrine glands. Ignorance of this fact lcads to a grcat many contradictions. Sometimes the blame is laid on outer circumstances, at other times a particular individual is held responsible for onc's ills.
A man went driving his bullock on whosc back was sprcad a gunny bag. Since the man had put on his load on one side of the sack, the equilibrium was disturbed, and the sack continually slipped off the bullock's back. Balance could only be maintained by loading the sack equally on both sides. One-sided loading caused imbalance, hindering the smooth movement of the bullock, with the result that the bullock could not move properly and the sack too continually slipped off. The man had put all the load in one pannier, vainly trying to restore the balance by putting his hand in the other pannier, exerting all his strenth. He did make some tardy progress, but was soon exhausted and was breathing hard. A wayfarer saw him and said, “You fool! Is this the way to carry a load? You are swcating profusely, unnecessarily taxing yourself and the animal! What a simpleton you are!"
The man said, "Well, what am I to do? How am I to restore the equilibrium?"
The wayfarer said, "Put half of the load in the other pannier!"
The man did as he was told. The balance was restored. With no more useless expenditure of energy, he complcted his journey comfortably.
Many a timc a man overloads one pannier and destroys the equilibrium and all his efforts to restore the balance come to nothing.
A man wants to absolve himself from responsibility by leaving everything to circumstance. All other alternatives are left unexplored. And he tries to justify his inaction by reason and argument. But thc imbalance and disorder continue. The proper thing for him lo do would be to maintain a balanced approach. That the background and circumstances shape a man's destiny is only a partial truth. The whole truth includes this partial truth, but also recognizes that the inward impulsc is no less important. A man is influenced by society, but he also influences society. In fact a man's life is influenced by the outer, the inner, and the subtle innermost environment. The blending of endocrine secretions with the blood influences conduct, and a man is sometimes found indulging in excesses. We find it hard to comprehend such a man's actions. At times the parents are puzzled by a child's extremities. Likewise gurus and other well-wishers find it hard to explain some dubious conduct on the part of a pupil. The atmosphere of the home may be clean and orderly and yet parents feel their ward is being spoilcd.
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