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the endorsement by his intellect from his past life and that is why
he steals in this life but if he were to associate with someone
noble, he may change his viewpoint. He may even decide that
it is wrong to steal, and so although he steals in his current life
because of his viewpoint of the past, his current opinion is
changing to one of “I should not steal’ and so in his next life he
will acquire the intellect which will not allow him to steal.
Why Do We Have Difference Of Opinions?
Why do we have difference of opinion with others? This
is because everyone has different viewpoints and that is why
they perceive things differently. To steal is a viewpoint of a thief;
he is not a thief forever. To say that someone’s viewpoint is
wrong is tantamount to calling his self wrong because that is his
belief; he believes his body to be his real self. He is correct in
his viewpoint. As long as there is ignorance of his real Self, his
viewpoint is his only support. After Gnan he comes to the
center and thereafter both ignorance and his viewpoint lose
support.
I never tell anyone, ‘You are wrong.’ I do not even tell
a thief that he is wrong because he is correct from his point of
view. Of course I would explain to him the consequences of his
actions.
Each and every human being is groping around in the
territory of good or evil intellect. Good intellect shows good
things and evil intellect will show wicked things. Ultimately both
kind of intellect will make a person wander around in the worldly
life and that is why I call it wrong intellect (viprit buddhi). Wrong
intellect hurts both the giver and the receiver. The right intellect
will help both the giver and the receiver.
Wrong intellect causes tremendous suffering. If someone
is ill in your home and your intellect points out to you, ‘What