Worth of beings and things
Criteria by which to judge this
February 5th 2015
Many people claim it is not possible to give an opinion with any certainty as to what any being or thing is worth. Yet, there are criteria. What are they? Supposing someone offers you a loaf of bread and says, ‘It’s excellent; it’ll make you strong.’ You take it and eat it, and you get stomach pains. This means the bread is bad – it was made with some poor quality ingredient. You have the proof, and you mustn’t go on eating it. Someone else brings you a different loaf, and after you have tasted it you feel revived. This is proof that the bread is good, that the person who baked it used the best grain.
It is the same in all spheres of life. Someone introduces you to a philosophy, telling you it is the best one and that you ought to adopt it… Well, test it out for yourself. If you begin to see life more clearly, if you feel more love, enthusiasm and inspiration in your heart, and if your will becomes more resolute at working and resolving problems, accept this philosophy. Even if the person presenting it to you is a down-and-out or an outcast, it is excellent: you have proof.