great enthusiasm a coin into the river. There was a rationalist in the comparament who observed, “The country is poverty-stricken and on the top of that there are people who throw coins out of carriage windows.” “You have not understood why he does it”. I said. “ The bhavana, the mental attitude with which he threw the coin is worth at least two or three such coins, is it not? If the money was given for some good cause, it would, no doubt, have been better. But then he was moved to do this because of the feeling that this is not a mere river, but the Lord’s compassion flowing before us. Is there any room for this feeling in your economics?”
When his eyes saw one of his country’s rivers, his heart melted. If you can assess in terms of money the value of this feeling, then I shall know how to estimate your patriotism.
Does love of country mean mere bread? If on seeing one of the great rivers of our country, the idea awakens in one’s mind that one should immerse all of one’s possessions in it, and dedicate them to it, how great is that love? In your creation, has the Lord a place? The river is a combination of hydrogen and oxygen. The sun is a kind of big glass-lamp. One should therefore bow low before a loaf of bread? It is a kind of white earth, Why does your mouth water at the sight of it?
Here is the big bright sun just risen, here is the beautiful tiver flowing past—if you do not see God in them, where can you see Him? Wordsworth laments:
The Rainbow comes and goes,
And lovely is the Rose,
The sunshine is a glorious birth,
But yet know, wherver I go,
That there hath, past away a glory from the earth.”
It is the attitude of mind towards things that makes all the difference.
With love,
Yours, L.N. Godbole
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