The Book of Life

INSIGHTS OF THE WISE come with inconsistency. If reality favours foresight, acting against foresight cannot bring success. If reality requires respect for people’s nature, then opposing their nature will never result in success. Moreover, principles must be followed above personal gain. If someone follows principles only where they seem profitable, but abandons them where no immediate benefit appears, such a person cannot be called principled. A person who makes principles subservient to personal interests may achieve small successes in life. But true success is reserved for those who uphold principles for their own sake, who remain firm on them regardless of personal gain. FROM EXPERIENCE A Pakistani Muslim, one of my readers, often visits India to meet his relatives. We received a detailed letter from him describing three incidents. One of these experiences is reproduced below in his own words: “I am from Pakistan and frequently travel to Bangalore to visit my relatives. During this visit to India, I happened to read the January 1992 issue of my Urdu magazine Al-Risala. In it, I came across an article by Mr. Afzal titled ‘Water Instead of Blood’ (see p. 80). It reminded me of three personal experiences in India, which I am briefly recording