In plain words
Friendship is growing a great deal in bad ways, in bad feelings and in bad conduct. This is false friendship. Satya is the kind that sets out very slowly. Many people in Āndhra say it to one another: ‘By the time Satya has put on its sandals, untruth has gone round the whole world and come back.’
In the students of today the spirit of forbearance has withered away. Forbearance, compassion, unity …. Only when these three are present do lofty feelings grow. Only when these two, sympathy and compassion, are present can we rise from beastliness to humanness. I hope that the students of our colleges, not as beasts but as lords of beasts, will shine brilliantly and give the world an ideal life. When we are pining for want of food and someone puts a handful of rice into our stomach, we show so much gratitude. When illness comes and a doctor comes and cures the disease, we offer him so much gratitude. To those who stood by us in times of trouble we show such great gratitude. Give even a small job to someone floundering without work, and he remembers that officer ever so much. But what gratitude do we show to God, who gave us birth, gave us qualities, gave us Buddhi and protects us? Alexander: ‘All my life I shall be indebted to the mother who gave me this body and to the father who reared me. But then, what thanks am I to give to God, who sent this body through my mother? Buddhi, citta and the antaḥkaraṇa, these principles, my parents did not give me. All these are God's own creations, God's own gifts. So as long as my blood flows I shall offer honour to God,’ he said.
The state of things today is turning into the very opposite of this. Caring nothing at all for parents, for kin or for friends, he tries to enjoy his own selfish interest alone. Truly this age is very dangerous, and very important. Any straying from the path at all is danger. If we follow the right path, we reach the goal. Whether we rise to a lofty state or slide down to a low one, our thoughts themselves are the cause. Today's student, once his education is complete, makes all sorts of efforts for some livelihood or other. He hopes to build up wealth and become a great rich man. You cannot see what the rich man's happiness is like. Money gives the rich man food of a sort, but it does not give him hunger. This rich man may get powerful medicines, but the disease is not under his control. Servants may be had, but friends are not. There may be comfort, but Śānti is nil. One must be rich in qualities. Through qualities all powers enter into a man. If we want Dhanalakṣmī or Rājyalakṣmī, or any Lakṣmī at all, to stay close to us: character. Valour and fame must stay close to us. When there is no character, where will valour come from? Where will fame come from? Where will Rājyalakṣmī stay with us? So first of all we must develop our own qualities, our character.
The divine path of Satya, the path of morality and integrity itself, is right character. If we belittle gratitude and forget the good done to us, then however many kinds of progress we labour for, that is not true character. Satya, sacrifice, Prema and selfless service: the oneness of these four is character. When our conscience is not satisfied, how can our conduct be called character? Study, study, and nothing else. Why study every learning only to die? Study the learning that knows no death. Having become a man of science, are you doing any good deeds with your own hands? Having learned many more kinds of knowledge, do you take part in the service of society? Has the holy feeling that one must not hurt others arisen in you at all? Your whole life is hurting others. Thinking only of harm to those who did you good! Is this the true mark? Merely by making the acquaintance of many books, will you become an educated man? No, no. To be educated means not to trouble others, to love others and to satisfy one's parents with humility and obedience.