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DISCOURSE 67
257
Maharajashri : That is why you experience agitation and unhappiness. You stop speaking thus and then see whether you will attain peace or not. If you exercise restraint on your speech, first of all at least, there will be peace in your family. In your houses, how do you converse with one another? How do you converse with your wife, your sons and daughters, brothers and your parents? I hope you do not utter words that cause agitation to them.
From the Audience: If someone behaves improperly we have to speak such words If we do not do so, they will continue to commit blunders. Of course, if we speak out our minds harshly they will be agitated but what else can we do?
Maharajashrı: Have those people stopped committing blunders after hearing your harsh words? Have they become reformed? Yes. If your people become reformed on hearing your harsh words, you may speak harshly to them. If your people can be reformed only when they are agitated by your harsh words then you can cause agitation to them by speaking harshly. If by means of some operation pain can be removed then the operation must be carried out, but if some malady can be cured by means of medicines, you should not take recourse to an operation. I hope you follow this principle. But what will you do if even an operation cannot remedy a malady. In such a case an operation should not be carried out. In other words, if your harsh words, cannot reform your people then you should not use such words.
In case some circumstances compel you to use harsh words then, at once, you must endeavour to remove the agitation you have caused to others "On account of me nobody should experience agitation". You must have this determination in your mind. The agitation and unhappiness will cause sorrow to you if you are responsible for their agitation.
Mostly people use harsh words only when they have to speak out their minds to those who are near and dear to them. People use harsh words in respect of those with whom they have to live and with whom they have to carry out the pilgrimage of life. What a foolish thing this is ! Speaking in a sweet
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