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THE FAMILY AND THE NATION
this awful situation, he went to the neighbouring king and expressed his anguish before him. He asked the other king whether there were any discords, conflicts and quarrels in his kingdom. The other king replied, 'No, Sir, not at all.' 'How is it so? In my kingdom, I am fed-up with the strife and conflicts that occur every day. How do you manage to remain immune from such a situation?' asked the frustrated king.
"My kingdom is guarded by four security guards. The first guard is Truth. No citizen of my country indulges in any form of unrighteous act. No one indulges in unethical practices like false weights and measures. My second guard is Justice. No one does another any injustice. The elderly members of my kingdom are not unjust towards the younger ones nor are the younger ones unjust towards the elderly members of my kingdom. Affection is my third security guard. The mutual relations between all people are marked by love and sweetness. Thus 0 King, there is neither unrighteous behaviour nor exploitation. The fourth guard is Sacrifice. My people observe altruism. Selfishness dare not face it.' Thus the bewildered king came to know the secret of peace amongst people.
HOW TO CONTAIN SELFISHNESS Once there was a curious youth who heard of a village where all families lived in peace. When he entered the village, he felt a kind of peace and serenity he had seldom experienced earlier. He asked a young man the reason for this peace. The young man replied, 'Friend, my people are truly religious.” “But I see religious people quarrelling a lot,' this man protested. Such people are not truly religious, they are only followers of certain conventions, beliefs and rituals,' the villager replied. 'In what way are the people truly religious here? asked the visitor. 'Every villager here posesses a worshiping place with four gates. We enter only
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