Jnana-Yoga : 4-3.

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CHAPTER-4. Maya and the Evolution of the Conception of God-3.
(Delivered in London, 20th October 1896)

In judging others we always judge them by our own ideals.

That is not as it should be.

Everyone must be judged according to his own ideal, and not by that of anyone else.

In our dealings with our fellow-beings we constantly labour under this mistake, and I am of opinion that the vast majority of our quarrels with one another arise simply from this one cause that we are always trying to judge others' gods by our own, others' ideals by our ideals, and others' motives by our motives.

Under certain circumstances I might do a certain thing, and when I see another person taking the same course I think he has also the same motive actuating him, little dreaming that although the effect may be the same, yet many other causes may produce the same thing.

He may have performed the action with quite a different motive from that which impelled me to do it.

So in judging of those ancient religions we must not take the standpoint to which we incline, but must put ourselves into the position of thought and life of those early times.

Swami Vivekananda
To be continued ...


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