harmonious whole. WSD:7:5 It is the duty of everyone to study the Sacred Books and to try to understand their deeper meaning. All should learn a skill whereby a useful livelihood be earned, and knowledge and wisdom should be increased day by day. As the purpose of life is to develop spirituality and further the Divine Design, it would be utter foolishness to neglect this. Each person should try, each and every day, to become a better balanced being living a more
harmonious life.
WSD:7:6 The obligations of men reach out far and wide, while the obligations of women incline towards the beautification of life and enshrine the virtues. The duties of manhood tend to draw men from home and comfort, while those of womanhood tend to draw women to serve hearth, home and family. Man worships at the altar of duty and obligation, while woman worships at the altar of virtue and service. Both bow before the altars of love. WSD:7:7 It is the duty of anyone who can to set right what another has done wrongly or in error. No one who has the welfare of mankind at heart can say, "This does not concern me," or, "I have no interest in what another
does."
WSD:7:8 Do not neglect the welfare of the sick and aged, for this is an obligation each one bears. Visit those who are ill, for visitors break the loneliness of their days. Enter the sick room cheerfully, as though it were a pleasure, and not as if you were fulfilling an obligation. Be considerate of their circumstances, and do not overstay. WSD:7:9 Each man should clothe his family decently and feed it according to his means. He should never allow any member of his family to become shabby, unclean or indolent. When something goes wrong within a house, it shall be the head of the house who will answer for it. Though every child is born with certain tendencies, the parents incline them as they will and therefore cannot deny responsibility for what a child becomes. When the child grows up to be a worthy man or woman, parents will often hasten to take credit, but when the child turns out to be a disgrace, they are tardy in accepting responsibility. Yet, the bad is more likely to result from what the parents have done or failed to do, than is the good.
Chapter Eight - Respect for the Rights of Others
WSD:8:1 Do not enter a house other than your own uninvited, and if you have a position of power, do not use it to gain entry into the house of another. Do not enter a house when the occupier is absent, even if it is open. If at any time, you are denied admittance to a house or told to go away, then depart in peace. Only in the interests of justice or peace, or when the safety of another demands it, should the privacy of a home be invaded, and even then only with the greatest restraint and consideration.
WSD:8:2 However, if a house is abandoned or empty, there is no harm done if it is entered for shelter, but it should not be damaged wilfully. Nothing established by the hand of man should be damaged, unless it causes harm or inconvenience, which outweighs its usefulness. WSD:8:3 When a guest within the house of another, treat his family with respect and his possessions with care. If you damage anything belonging to him, make proper and full restitution. When in the house of a friend, under no circumstances, touch a woman of his family improperly or show disrespect for her modesty by word or gesture. Note the way a man conducts himself in his own home, for this reveals not only his own character but also the
character of his womenfolk. WSD:8:4 If a man greets you with courtesy, then answer him in the same manner, for surliness displays a weakness of character. If a man in difficulty seeks your aid, cheerfully grant him whatever assistance you can. If advice or information is yours to give, do not withhold it when requested, but never
press advice upon another.
WSD:8:5 Respect the rights and dignity of the poor, for they may have little else. Those who help the poor or needy with gifts or benefits, knowing they cannot be repaid, are not without gain when their life is enlarged. Receive all comers with a happy smile, and do not look downcast when
giving something away; otherwise, you set the gift at nought. WSD:8:6 Though freedom is the birthright of every man and one of the ideals, which must be upheld, when it infringes upon the freedom of another man, it ceases to be genuine. Therefore, before you talk about your own freedom or rights, consider the freedom and rights of others, for if you are truly good, their freedom and rights are the most important. However, if others come seeking to diminish your freedom and rights by force or legislation, without conferring a benefit of equal value in return, they are to be resisted. But bear in mind that true freedom is another of the sublime qualities unattainable on Earth, where, though man may aspire to it, and must, it is restricted by earthly conditions requiring service, duty and
obligation.
WSD:8:7 To be truly free, man must rise above his mortality and become divine. To attain true freedom, he must travel a road of many tollgates, and at each, payment is demanded from his own supply of freedom's gold. Freedom, like perfection, goodness and justice, is an end man must strive for, but he must also realise that its attainment lies beyond the realm of mortal limitations. Like the other divine qualities here on Earth, it is best understood
by contrast.
WSD:8:8 Duty, obligation and service are the three inescapable elements of life. On the road to divinity, they are the three burdens, which have to be carried every step of the way. They cannot, of course, be without purpose and so are also the great stimulants, without which man cannot be sustained in his ascent. Take them away, and man slides backwards towards the low ground of the brute beasts which have no awareness of them.
Chapter Nine - People and Places to Avoid
WSD:9:1 Avoid all places and people, which conduce to evil. Keep away from hypocrites, for, having a common feeling of degradation, they will congregate together, and it would be unwise to be numbered among them. Hypocrites tend towards evil because they serve its purpose and, therefore having an affinity with it, they turn away from what is good and just. They are hard-fisted when the poor come discreetly seeking for alms, but are open- handed when approached in a public place. Surely the hypocrite must be the
lowest form of man or woman!
WSD:9:2 If you meet a stranger who appears to be filled with extraordinary virtues, or who conducts himself with grace and good manners, do not hastily conclude that this is his true character. Go to the place where
he lives and is known. Note his attitude towards his family and behaviour among friends, and listen to what is said about him. Only then will you be in a better position to judge and to weigh him in the balances. WSD:9:3 There are many persons of a hypocritical nature who reveal their true character in one place, but put on a false display of goodness in another. If you accept a man or woman in haste and are deceived, then blame no one except yourself. The man who accepts another at his own valuation
usually gets a poor bargain. WSD:9:4 Avoid those whose natures are shallow or superficial, even though they be attractive and pleasant. Shallow streams sparkle most, and weakest waters make the most pleasant sound. There are many whose understanding of friendship is mere companionship, and they neither seek nor know anything deeper. Such people should not be cultivated beyond acquaintanceship. No man really knows another until he has seen him exposed to danger and loss. Even then, he cannot know him fully until he has seen him when tested by prosperity and success. WSD:9:5 Avoid those who are seeking to benefit from your friendship; they are not for you. Friendship is a precious plant, which must be nurtured in the good soil of sincerity and trust, and plentifully watered with loyalty and understanding. The man who presumes too much on friendship is unworthy
of it.
WSD:9:6 Avoid the loose woman, for even if she is beautiful, it may be just a lure over the pit trap. Do not become snared by your desires or let your eyes drug your wisdom. The man who claps fire to his chest cannot escape unburned, and he who embraces uncleanliness will be soiled, however