In plain words
"I am a man"; to say "I am a man" is not the whole truth. It is only a half-truth. "I am a man" is a half-truth. "I am not a beast" is a half-truth. When these two are joined, "I am a man, not a beast", he becomes a complete man. If he thinks, "I am a man", and does the deeds of a beast, how does he become a man? The beast is bound up with selfishness. It is without Manas; the beast has no Manas. But only one who is joined with Manas is man. The name maniṣi comes from the mind itself. So we must recognise well this principle of the mind. From this mind we must travel to the Ātma. So we must recognise the oneness within this principle of the Ātma. In every body there is this thing called the Ātma. This thing called the body is a chariot. The Ātma is its charioteer. So for every chariot there is a charioteer. This is the same for all, is it not? Each cart may be of a different shape. Every body is just like a chariot. Within this chariot there is a driver. What is the sameness within humanness? The chariot and the charioteer: both are the sameness itself. This itself is the oneness in humanness. So rather than think of the manyness within this oneness, it is most necessary to recognise the oneness that is in the manyness. For every man the signs of oneness are always there, plainly to be seen. There may be an emperor. He has hunger. When he is hungry, he may eat a feast of five kinds of dishes and sweet pāyasam. By eating he may satisfy his hunger. There is a beggar. He has hunger. If his hunger is to be satisfied, he may satisfy it with gruel and conjee. For the beggar, gruel and conjee; for the millionaire, a feast of five kinds of dishes and sweet pāyasam. These things are different, but for both the satisfying of hunger is the same. Hunger and thirst are one and the same for all. Birth and death are one and the same for all. Joy and sorrow are one and the same for all. When sorrow comes, the millionaire weeps and that one weeps too; when this is oneness for all, how can we argue that it is difference? In the everyday world, enjoyments and riches may differ. But in the vision of God all alike are one. In all beings is God, whose form is the Ātma. So taking on that oneness, we must understand the principle of life that all men alike are one. Troubles of this kind keep growing in the world precisely because that kind of oneness has today turned into so much difference. Today we must develop this oneness in our organisations. All men are one. All are parts of God. The Ātma that is in all bodies is one. So we must not be frightened at all on seeing the change of these names and forms. Give that up. Choose the oneness that is in it. That itself is the service we must do today.