22 March 1987
CODE OF CONDUCT
We have heard several times that what we are doing here is not religion. You have been told not to change your religion because there is not another religion to offer. Ewe are following the essence of every religion which is the same but when it comes to rituals and symbols it is different. Every Sunday what we hear is nothing but a code of conduct. How we should behave towards our fellow human beings, our attitude towards God and ourselves. We are talking about a code of behaviour. We must know what we are doing.
It has been emphasized several times that those people walking outside are also our brothers or sisters. They are children of God. They come first, God next and we come last. So, what is our approach? Our approach is the Human Relations Approach to God. This is our approach. The Human Relations Approach to God is based on the fact that the Father (God) loves His children more than He loves Himself. In the eyes of the Father His children are more important. Just like you, when you have to decide between your child and you, if it is something good you give it to your child. If it is somet5hing unpleasant you take it yourself to spare your child all the unpleasantness. Why? Because you love your child more than you love yourself. It is the same with God. He loves His children more than He loves Himself.
Our Human Relations Approach to God is based on this. Therefore, no man can reach the Father by disregarding His children. The only way to the Father is through His children. If you have no time for His children, He will have no time for you. How would you feel if someone is very nice to you but dislikes your child? But on the other hand, if you don’t like this person but he is very nice to your child, you will slowly begin to realise that he is a good person. Therefore, no man can reach the Father by disregarding His children.
From what you have heard so far, the logical conclusion is love the children before loving the Father. Love the Father’s children and then go on to the Father, the Father will accept you. All that has been said so far leads to our very foundation – the foundation on which this Society is actually built. It is in honouring, living and respecting the children that one loves, honours and respects the Father.
Our foundation is love the children first, then love God, It is only through the children that we can reach God. It cannot be the other way round. The children will lead to the Father. The Father loves, honours and respects those who honour, love and respect His children. This means that if I am loving, honouring and respecting you then automatically I am loving, honouring and respe4cting the Father.
You are the seeker. You are seeking self-realisation and this leads to God-realisation. Self-realisation leads to God-realisation because God is in you. You the seeker have to go to the children of God and it is only through them you can make the connection. That is the only bridge. If you look at all our Prayers and Divine Whispers you will see that they are a way of thinking, a way of life and a code of conduct.
Life is a series of actions and reactions. How are you going to act and react? Over the same thing 10 different people will act and react differently. It is a code of conduct towards our brothers and sisters, towards God and ourselves. The Divine Whispers tell you all about taking care of yourself, your health. Of the first importance are the children, second is God and lastly you. If you are going to behave negatively towards the children, what you are actually doing is you are bringing God also down. If you behave positively towards the children, then you are also putting God up. It is automatic. You cannot put God up and is children down.
There are three groups – the children, you and God. This is called the Divine Triple Connection. This connection must exists. If this connection is broken, then you drift away from God. If this connection is there, then you will reach Him. The stronger the connection the better. What are the guidelines? What do we follow? What you have to follow is very simple. Be aware and sensitive to the feelings of others. Do your best for the other. If you cannot match the other person material don’t worry. It is not the material value that matters.
Whatever it is do your best for the other. When you do something for the other don’t hold back because you are doing it for God. In doing our best fore others, we are doing our best for Him. Every action has a reaction which is equal and opposite. This is the cosmic law. Whether it is our feelings for one another, whether it is our attitude towards one another, whatever it is , for every action there is a reaction. It is in giving that you get, in honouring that you are honoured. What you give you get back. Be more than fair to the other. It is not competition. It is a question of being thankful. There should not be competition or any element of business in it.
Always reciprocate positively. If there is any situation where you have to reciprocate negatively, don’t reciprocate. You are being positive in not reciprocating. If someone is very ’low’ do you want to act lowly. Always reciprocate whatever it is but reciprocate positively. If you want to reciprocate, be more than fair to the other. Being thankful is a divine quality. Put yourself in the other person’s shoes always. Don’t be self-centred. Think of the other man first. Chances are you will not hurt him, you will understand him.
Many people do a lot of things not because they want to hurt you but because of ignorance. Have respect, love and honour for the other. Jesus was asked why He loved God and He said.
He loved God because God loved Him. You have to make people happy first then you go to God. That is why we say that it is only through people that you go to God. Three vital elements in the Human Relations Approach to God are – thoughts, words and action. These three must be synchronized. It is like a three-lagged table. If you remove any one leg the table will fall. Mere lip service is not enough. Always return the kindness, love, understanding and goodwill given to you. What you return must be at least equal to what yourece4ive. You must be happy about what you are giving to others. If you give it grudgingly you are loading yourself with sin.
Whatever you give must be given with love. Take satisfaction in the other person’s happiness or share what you have. When you reciprocate it must be at least equal, it must be positive. Be always positive towards people, your fellow sisters cand brothers, towards God. Be positive towards yourself. If you underestimate yourself, you are actually underestimating God. But you must know your limits. Be positive towards every circumstance and situation. Remember you are never alone.
Be positive towards the past. Why the past? Because many people have destroyed themselves because of the past. All the yesterdays are dead and gone. Today we live. Tomorrows are yet to come. You cannot change the past. Learn from your mistakes. That is being positive. Find out where you went wrong. See only the good because there is good in everything, in everybody. Analyse your mistakes. Assess yourself. Watch constantly your thoughts, words and actions. Don’t take others for granted. They are more important than you. When you take others for granted there will be problems.
A lot of beautiful relationships have broken down because one party has taken the other for granted. You should never be negative minded, the one who does not how to give, nor be an opportunist. Keep away from people who fall in this category. These three categories of people are spiritually and material bankrupts irrespective of their material assets. Have love, kindliness, understanding, generosity and forgiveness. Don’t have greed, hatred, envy, selfishness and jealousy.
Charity is a divine quality. Before a person can be charitable, he must have love, kindness, understanding and goodwill. There are two kinds of charity. One is material i.e., money and the things money can buy. The second is things that money cannot buy like kind word, a sincere smile, a word of encouragement, sympathetic ears. Both are equally important. Remember the HUMILITY PRINCIPLE. H- be humble, U- be understanding, M- be mature, I- be inward dwelling, L -be loving, I -be intelligent, T-be thankful, Y-be youthful. Live by this principle. Thankfulness is a divine quality. Show it, express it. No one owes you anything. Be thankful to all for everything.
Human Relations Approach to God is seeing God in all His creations, seeing and recognising Him in each and every one of His children. You are a magnet, but you have a choice whether you want to be a positive or negative magnet. Whether you want to be a positive magnet and attract all things good to you or whether you want to be a negative magnet and attract all the bad things to you is up to you.
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