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Rays of Dharma
to bear a heavier penalty.
This shows the true impartiality and modesty. It is possible to win over the hearts of others by gentleness and modesty. The man is no longer alive, but the people of that place still remember his sense of justice. The popularity thus arises out of inner virtues. When the man died, everyone felt that he had lost a close relative. While crying aloud his watchman had said, 'I did not cry that much even when my father died.'
Another attribute required for gaining popularity is to have a good character. Character is the measurement of morality. The extent to which the standard of morality has gone down can be seen from the pictures of actresses in periodicals. If we want to bring it up, we shall have to change that environment. The present sad state can be removed by the scent of good character. For that purpose, we need to adopt restraints in our life. We should have a level of gentleness that does not prevent anyone from coming in contact with us.
This was noticed in the life of Sudarshan and his wife Vijayä. While leading the worldly life they remained so pure that even great monks and nuns did not get tired of adoring their lifestyle. Good character is not merely required in the religious realm, it is also necessary for a happy and benign life. Married life should not therefore be treated as a license for indulgence. As it is necessary to have a dam for the lake, so is it required to have a limit to indulgence. This was also evidenced in Mahatma Gandhi's life. While admitting of excessive sexual instinct in his earlier life, he reached a stage where he adopted celibacy and could call his wife with the motherly address of Bä.
Sex is not inherent in disposition; it lies in one's tendency. The person, who talks of woman as the source of evil, is not necessarily a man of character. When one talks derogatory about women, he might merely be satisfying his sexual urge or the underlying tendency. Sex is a tendency, while character is a perspective. The tendency can be overcome by the right perspective. When the true character arises
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