In your daily affairs, do not create factions, or revel in hatred. See the good in others and the faults in yourselves. Revere others as having God installed in them; revere yourself also as the seat of God. Make your heart pure so He can reside therein. (SSS Vol.1)

Revere man; that is the first step towards reverence for God; for man is Pratyaksha, God is paroksha. Man is perceptible; God is imperceptible. (SSS Vol.4, p. 230)

‘Revere the mother as divine; revere the father as divine; revere the teacher as divine; revere the guest as divine’, they exhorted. Everyone has the divine in him, so no one should be slighted or neglected. The parents who gave you this wonderful chance to realise the reality within and the teacher who opened your eyes to the treasure within you, the guest who gave you the splendid chance to render service to the living embodiment of God right in your own home, all have to be revered and served with humility. (SSS Vol.4, p. 232)

Revere Jnana as you revere your father; adore love as you adore your mother, move fondly with Dharma, as if it were your own brother; confide in daya as if it were your dearest friend, have shantam as your better half; treat Sahana, fortitude as if it were your own beloved son. These are your genuine kith and kin. Move with them, live with them, do not forsake or neglect them. (SSS Vol.4, p. 81)

Revere your parents, especially, the mother. You may be able to pay back any debt, but the debt you owe your mother, you can never repay. Those who claim to be devotees of God must have this credential - they must revere the mother. (SSS Vol.7, pp. 119-120)

What kind of existence will you have if you do not revere the Motherland as your mother? While Subhas Bose was studying in the Calcutta University, there was an English professor, who used to speak disparagingly about India and Indians. Subhas Bose, who was intensely patriotic, could not bear listening to such derogatory remarks about the Motherland. He was patient for a while, but when the professor continued in the same strain, he got up, jumped over three desks, caught the Englishman by the neck and beat him with sandals. Bose declared, ‘I can bear anything, but I cannot bear my Motherland being abused and ridiculed. It does not matter what happens to me, but I must defend my country’s honour.’

The students who watched the incident were stunned. The English professor cried out: ‘Help me! Help me!’ News of the incident reached the authorities, who held an emergency meeting and rusticated Subhas Bose for five years. Subhas was determined to dedicate his entire life to the service of the Motherland. As Subhas could not continue his studies in Calcutta, his father sent him to London. But even there Subhas cherished his love for the Motherland. He was determined to finish his studies and return to India to serve the motherland. He studied hard and passed the I.C.S. examination. He returned to India and plunged into national politics. ‘I owe my food and everything else to my country. I must be grateful to the nation by serving it.’ This was his firm resolve.

Here is his example. You students should realise what you owe to your educational institutions for your status and position in life and be ever grateful to them. This is the pledge you should take. This is true sacrifice. Giving up selfishness, developing faith in the Divine, you must realise the Supreme. (SSS Vol.23, pp. 172-173)

Every human being must revere the Vedas. It is the very foundation of life. Every act of daily life has its roots in the Vedas. Whether everyone knows this or not, the Vedas pervade everything. In the yajna, Shri Narayana himself appears as the embodiment of Veda. (SSS Vol.20, p. 193)

The temple is but brick and mortar. The idol is but stone. But, you are determined to see in it the Divine Principle. If you can penetrate behind the stone and see the Divine Basis, how much easier it is to see the Lord who resides in the heart of every living, every human being? Try to realise that first, so that your faith in the idol and the temple can be well settled. Revere Man; that is the first step towards reverence for God; for, Man is pratyaksha (perceptible), God is paroksha (imperceptible). (SSS Vol.5)