Why should we Love and Respect other people?
We should love not just our friends and family-members, but every member of the society. This love must manifest itself in word, thought and deed.
The power of words is very great. Your speech makes friends or enemies of others. It is, at the same time, the test of your own good breeding. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
Your words show whether your heart goes out to the other man or not. Now, you want others to love yon, to treat you kindly, to speak to you gently. Your behavior towards them must then be marked by the same characteristics.
Loving thoughts are equally due from you to all your neighbors. Sometimes you believe that merely thinking kindly is of no use, unless you can in action help the man in trouble. This is not correct. Even if you cannot give material help, you always comfort your neighbor by making him feel that he has your sympathy.
We are not animals; and even animals are able to feel and to reciprocate loving thoughts. The sheep know the shepherd as much as the shepherd knows the sheep. If you love the dog, the dog loves you in turn, even more strongly.
Love is the great bond that knits us together, in the family, in the community. Kind thoughts heal up the sores of anger, harshness, disappointment, and cruelty. Further, if you do not entertain kind thoughts you cannot do kind deeds. Every action is induced by some motive in the mind. If you do not love your neighbor in your mind, can you act kindly towards him?
The tree is judged by its fruits. Similarly, a man judged by his actions. You have learnt in the general portion that yon receive many benefits from others; to return them, you have been told is your duty.
You should love your friends, equals, elders and younger ones. Love is due to all, in a general way. To your elders, it is mingled with respect, with the desire to obey; towards your younger-ones with compassion, with the desire to help.
