February 16

If You Can, Help Them

Question: How can one see oneself in someone who is nasty and violent?

Sri Gurudev: Think that once you too might have been like that. Now you have become a nice person. He or she will also grow that way. Give people time. Don’t think we were all born saints and yogis. Every grown-up once crawled. Today’s sinner is tomorrow’s saint. Be sympathetic. Don’t dislike such people. If you can, help them. If not, at least don’t hate them. By being nasty and violent, they might even learn some good lessons. They will change one day. We have no right to condemn anybody.

Think to yourself, “Yes, I could have been like that at one time.” Or, “I should not be like that. This person has performed a great service by clearly showing me what to avoid in myself.”

There is always a positive way of looking at things.