Passage 2

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In plain words

Through these evil qualities, through evil thoughts, through possessiveness and Ahaṅkāra, he is unable to know his own divine form. This possessiveness, hardened into a crust, is not something we can easily make pure. This impurity does not go away through japa, or through tapas, or through dhyāna, or through bhajans, or through any kind of karma. These are merely some auxiliary limbs of Prema; the true support is Prema alone. Through the limbs any kind of work at all can be achieved, but we cannot attain the principle of the Ātma. But for these limbs to do good deeds, to enter into good conduct and to follow the path of Satya: that itself is the right goal for this. Tukārām said, "Rāma! I am lowly, I am maimed, I am wretched," he said. That is, this man was not maimed. There is an inner meaning in his saying "I am wretched, I am maimed" though he had all his limbs. These limbs that do no service are simply base. These limbs that do no good deeds are simply no better than limbs one does not have. I have eyes, but I am unable to see You. So though I have eyes I am blind indeed; I am not one who holds You in his sight. Though I have ears I have become deaf; I cannot hear Your sweet voice, so I am deaf indeed. I have hands. But I am unable to put them into Your service. So even having hands, I am maimed all the same. I have a tongue; what use is it? It moves like a frog's tongue, but I cannot make the thought of Your Name dance upon my tongue. So even having a tongue, I am one without a tongue indeed. In such a human life, this has been set forth as a side-path for putting all the limbs too into good deeds and into good thoughts, and so making life worthwhile.

But in human nature there are two kinds of traits. To consider oneself good, virtuous and clever and to be deluded by it: this is one kind, a common trait. The second is the cultured trait that appreciates the good qualities, the good feelings, the good ideal and the intelligence in the other person. To recognise the good qualities of the other person, the good traits of the other person, the intelligence of the other person and the ideal: this is what matters most for us. Such people are very rare in the world.

And the one who recognised such sacred ideals, experienced them Himself, passed them on to others, and shared out Ānanda and kept it, was Jesus. Two thousand years ago, in the kingdom called Palestine, in a village called Nazareth, Mary and Joseph were living.