Swami Dharmananda
Bandhanikala, 07.03.2006
The Ahimsa Yatra, spreading the message of universal peace, brotherhood, morality, and non-violence reached Bandhanikala. There were all types of people, including young children and the aged. H.H. Acharya Mahaprajna said in his sermon that he had asked thousands of people during the Ahimsa Yatra, "Are you facing any problem?" He got positive replies everywhere he had asked. He continued,
“There are two types of problems, one comes from inside, and the other from outside. The inside problems making a person unhappy are ego, jealousy and competition. By becoming humble, many of these problems are solved.
The outside problems are unemployment, no land to till, and no money to survive. When a person resolves to endure all adverse situations, trifle things will not disturb him. A person who has got good health and calm and quit mind is a happy person. When a person resolves to endure all the adverse situations, no trifle things will disturb him. If he follows self-restraint, morality and has high ideals in his life, he is on the way to happiness. When he determines to solve the external problems, he will succeed also.
There is value of character in life, but behaviour has even more value. Good behaviour will bring about peace; reaction and reactionary violence will withdraw.
Ego increases violence. Where there is ego, religion cannot appear, because one root of religion is politeness. It can be presumed that a polite person had tried to understand religion. Politeness begets acceptability. Egoistic persons do not have acceptability.
Everybody should try to understand religion. Non-violence and religion should have its place in life, by that the person, as well as the society will improve."