In plain words
“Alas! I have no great mansions. They all live in mansions”: he never lamented in that way. “It does not matter that I have no mansions; I have shade to stand in. It does not matter that I have no cars; I have the legs God gave me,” he said, and stayed content. In the end he himself rose to a great position and went on helping everyone. In those days the black people in America were treated as slaves. Lincoln honoured and cared for all of them. He gave them freedom from slavery. We may be poor. That alone is no cause for grief. We must live with faith in ourselves and nurture our self-respect. Honour will surely come to us. Some people, on seeing the poor, tell them to be off. That is a great mistake. It is they whom we must care for and honour. But do not honour others with the aim of being honoured yourself. Honouring others must become our very nature. What brings honour to a man and raises him to the heights is self-respect. Our self-respect is what protects us.
You need not be great; be good
Children! Whatever the state of your parents, you must honour them. You must bow your heads to them. You must listen to their words. Only then will honour come to you. In ancient times the people of Bhārata built great mansions and gave them small doors. Why? So that everyone, whoever he might be, would have to bow his head as he entered the house. When we go to another’s house too, we must go in with heads bowed. Today the people of Bhārata have forgotten such ancient ways. Today they do not even put a threshold in their houses. Because stepping over it is too much trouble for them! The ancient people of Bhārata wove humility, Bhakti and faith into every custom.
Students! You must cultivate such sacred qualities and so earn honour. If you want the grace of God, it does not come from doing pūjās and rituals. Great learning only swells Ahaṅkāra; it does not grow humility, Bhakti and faith.