When a man honours his father and mother, God says, “I regard it as though I had dwelt among them and they had honoured me."
Those who are ignorant of the supreme purpose of life will never be able to attain nirvana (liberation) in spite of their observance of the vratas (vows) and niyamas (rules) of religious conduct and practice of shila (celibacy) and tapas (penance).
A person once asked me in a provocative manner, if I approved of homosexuality. I replied with another question: “Tell me, when God looks at a gay person, does he endorse the existence of this person with love, or reject and condemn this person?” We must always consider the person.
I believe compassion to be one of the few things we can practice that will bring immediate and long-term happiness to our lives.
