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BREAKING THE BARRIER
Regardless of its kind, whether carnal (animal)
biological (animal) or human, and regardless of the charms and qualities of
the beloved, may be he is brave, gallant, efficient, scholarly or has moral
values, and any other special merits or qualifications, love and devotion
takes one out of selfishness. Selfishness is a limitation and a barrier, and
loving another virtually breaks this barrier. Man remains weakling, timid,
miser, jealous, malicious, intolerant, selfish and arrogant as long as he does
not step out of himself. His soul has no spark and no brilliance, it lacks
charm and anxiety, it is always cold and slumbering, but instantly he steps
out of himself and breaks the barrier of "self", these evil
characteristics also vanish away. Whosoever has torn off his garb while in
love, becomes purged of greed and blemish!
Breaking the barrier of selfishness does not mean
that one should sever all relations with one's personality, nor does it mean
that man should so strive as to detach relations with his own person.
It does not mean that in order to get rid of
selfishness man should sever the relations, which he has with himself. It does
not mean that man should endeavour to dislike himself. The relation with
oneself, which is named as "Love of Self" has not been misplaced as
to be removed. The reformation and perfection of man does not presuppose that
a tissue of redundance has been planted in man, and that these weeds and
harmful elements should be removed from him. In other words the reformation of
man does not lie in impairing him. It rather lies in complementing and
supplementing him. The function assigned to man by nature is towards
propagation, i.e. it lies in perfection and augmentation and not in reduction
and elimination.
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