The Book of Life

upward. The principle is so absolute that if you do not lift yourself upward, you will automatically begin to decline. No further effort is required to fall. This principle applies equally to both religious and worldly matters. A true believer is one whose faith is continuously growing. If the process of strengthening faith comes to a halt, then the person begins his journey toward decline. There is no possibility of remaining fixed in one state. The same is true of worldly life. In worldly matters too, a person must keep moving forward in development. Whoever cannot maintain the process of progress will first fall into stagnation, and then slowly fade away. One must always remain concerned about one’s growth. To stop caring about growth is to hand oneself over to death. NECESSARY PREPARATION A film has been made on the life of Gandhi, which became quite famous under the title “Gandhi.” The role of Gandhi was played by the British actor Ben Kingsley (b. 1943). In order to mould himself into the role of Gandhi, Kingsley went through extraordinary effort. His real-life lifestyle was very luxurious. His dining table was more lavishly filled than the traditional royal or noble tables of earlier times. But to play the role of Gandhi, he lived for a long time in near-starvation conditions.