Template for ‘Expansion of Ideas’.
(1)
Title
(2)
Introduction (Impressive beginning)
(3)
Middle (Focus on words, interpretation and evaluation of ideas)
(4) Convincing conclusion with a proverb or
quotation.
Beauty
is truth. Truth is beauty.
This philosophical statement means that the real beauty of a thing lies on its permanence and that there is only one ultimate beauty in this world is truth which never perishes. The remaining, though they seem to be beautiful, is not really beautiful as they are perishable.
This statement is found in the poem - Ode one a Grecian Urn - written by John Keats. He sees two pictures on the two sides of an urn. On one side there are young lovers and musicians and on the other side a number of pious people go to make a sacrifice at a green alter. In the end of the poem, Keats says that the Urn gives this message to humanity - BEAUTY IS TRUTH. TRUTH IS BEAUTY. That is all you know on earth and all you need to know. From this statement Keats tells that the real beauty is truth and nothing more and truth alone is the beautiful one. The beautiful objects that we consider so of this world such as flowers are not really beautiful. Even the works of art, though they seem to be imperishable become perishable later or sooner and so they are not really beautiful. So, the ever-remaining truth alone is the real beauty and the others may change and pass. So we should pay more attention to the core beauty rather than to the outer appearances.
This philosophical statement means that the real beauty of a thing lies on its permanence and that there is only one ultimate beauty in this world is truth which never perishes. The remaining, though they seem to be beautiful, is not really beautiful as they are perishable.
This statement is found in the poem - Ode one a Grecian Urn - written by John Keats. He sees two pictures on the two sides of an urn. On one side there are young lovers and musicians and on the other side a number of pious people go to make a sacrifice at a green alter. In the end of the poem, Keats says that the Urn gives this message to humanity - BEAUTY IS TRUTH. TRUTH IS BEAUTY. That is all you know on earth and all you need to know. From this statement Keats tells that the real beauty is truth and nothing more and truth alone is the beautiful one. The beautiful objects that we consider so of this world such as flowers are not really beautiful. Even the works of art, though they seem to be imperishable become perishable later or sooner and so they are not really beautiful. So, the ever-remaining truth alone is the real beauty and the others may change and pass. So we should pay more attention to the core beauty rather than to the outer appearances.
One should eat to live , not live to eat
One should
eat to live, not live to eat. The primary purpose of eating is to live and lead
a healthy life by nourishing one's body with a healthy diet, water and fruits.
Through eating food, one can supply his/her body with the required nutrients to
enable growth and maintenance of the body.
It is
therefore essential to note that one should not live to eat; this is because
our primary purpose is not living life to eat. After taking meals, people
indulge in other activities, work, or school. This means that food should not
be a priority in our lives.
Notably,
it is essential to eat healthy foods and nourish our bodies with water; thus,
one should eat to live and not live to eat.
IF WINTER
COMES CAN SPRING BE FAR BEHIND
It is horribly chilly throughout the winter in
the west. Roads blocked by several feet of frozen snow paralyze traffic.
Temperature reaching below freezing point even in Shimla and Srinagar in India
stops water supply. Markets are closed for days together. Sometimes even
electric supply is affected. Coal is to be stored. Hell is let loose on the
earth. Death moves its cold fingers round the old and the poor. The dance of
pain and suffering continues day after day week after week.
The season takes a turn. Numbing cold gives way
to cool atmosphere. Snow starts melting. Spring arrives. Beautiful flowers
bloom on trees. Green lawns come out of the clusters of snow and invite the
young and old alike to enjoy the freshness of the atmosphere. Nature sheds away
the hoary white and grows young again. The almighty plays the game every year.
Beautiful spring follows dreary cold.
So is true in the life of man. Time comes when he
has to face difficulties. One may lose one’s job. Another may part with his
property. A businessman may suffer heavy losses. The whole city may be
devastated in storms and floods. The whole nation, like Japan in the last war,
may feel humiliation. It is the winter of their lives. But it is always
followed by the spring of hope. Efforts pay the man finds a better job business
flourishes and the nation tops the world in art, culture and production. Who
will refute the saying ‘if winter comes can spring be far behind’?
Fools rush in where angel fear to trade
The proverb warns us against hasty and
thoughtless action. It is unwise to be hasty. Prudent people are always very
careful in their dealings with others. They think twice before they act. They
think of the consequences of their actions and will act only if they can
succeed. Such people won’t jump to hasty conclusions and so they normally
succeed in what they do. But foolish people act hastily without proper thought.
They won’t think of the consequences of their actions. They will jump to hasty
conclusions and so they fail in their endeavours. When foolish people lose the
game by acting hastily, wise men win it by playing it with patience. So it is
said that fools enter into critical situations without much thought where even
angels fear to go. A person should think twice before he undertakes a project.
If he takes any step rashly and recklessly, it can prove to be dangerous. Work
done recklessly is not at all profitable. If a small country decides to fight
against a big powerful country, the former will surely meet with failure; such
a thoughtless decision will destroy that country. When a person decides to
start a business, he should think twice. Foolish people always take rash
decisions and it is wrong. Such people are led more by their instincts than
their thoughts. Thus the proverb cautions us against and reckless acts.
Slow and Steady Wins the Race
This proverb is a
reference the well-known fable of the hare and the tortoise. While the hare,
over-confident of success, took things too easy, the slow-moving tortoise
plodded steadily on and managed to win the race.
We should not be
discouraged by the size of the task we have to do. If we do it little by little
and steadily, we can achieve success.
Take the case of a
student who labours ‘eighteen hours a day near the examination. He cannot
ensure brilliant results that could have been certain even by ‘six hours’ a day
study.
Anything done in a
hurry cannot have solid, deep and firm foundations. It is the slow and constant
labour that brings results. For example, a businessman should be patient and
calm-minded. He should look in all directions before striking a bargain. If he
is in a hurry, chances are that he may not consider all aspects fully and thus
stand to lose.
The work done
coolly, calmly with a balanced mind often last longer and proves fruitful than
that done by working against the clock.
Thus while doing
anything we must not forget that nothing worthwhile can be achieved in a single
day or overnight and that every achievement takes time. Patient and persistent
effort will beat the labours of a spasmodic (irregular) person.
Rome was not built in a day.
Rome in the proverb
stands for any great achievement.
Romulus and Remus built the ancient city of
Rome. It took many years and thousands of workers to construct the magnificent
city of its time. Huge amounts of energy, resources and expenditure and time
were involved in erecting the city that became the envy of the world. Similarly any great task in life does not happen overnight.
It requires time and effort. It grows out slowly after years and sometimes even
after centuries of careful and patient work.
Take for example
the great wonders of the world. We often admire their greatness but are apt to
forget the tremendous amount of money and material, human labour and time that
have gone into their making.
The Taj Mahal, a
marvel of architectural workmanship took seventeen years to complete. The huge
pyramids of Giza took several generations to attain their overpowering
magnitude and staggering height. The Great Wall of China is another case in
point. These random examples are enough to prove the truth of the saying.
Similarly a student
who desires top the class has to devote most of his time in studying hard. He
has to put in time and effort. He has to plan his schedule in a proper way from
day one. Students who study at the nick of time end up getting bad scores.
Nothing can be
achieved in a single day. There is nothing called instant success. Therefore
one should be patient throughout his journey to reach his goal.
A stitch in Time saves Nine. OR
Actions speak louder than words
On the surface, the
proverb says that a thing that needs mending ought to be mended before it
assumes serious proportions.
Take for example a
cloth that is a little torn. It can be easily mended with a single stitch. But
if it is neglected, it requires more stitches. Further neglect may also make it
useless.
By extension, the proverb means that timely action helps us in
overcoming problems. Prompt action at an early stage prevents serious trouble
in future. Take for instance, the breach in a dam in
Gujarat. It was not repaired in the early stages. This resulted in the bursting
of the dam. A water sheet of twenty feet high ran across the village and
thousands of people died in Marui, a beautiful city, in three minutes. It is a
case of delay and ‘delays are dangerous’.
Same is the case of
a student who falls into the habit of procrastination. He must read his lessons
regularly. He must not postpone them. If he neglects to study in time he will
have to strain before the examinations. He will have to ‘burn the midnight
oil’. It may spoil his health and in addition there is every danger of
forgetting whatever he has read. He becomes a victim of tension and fear.
A boy stole a
pencil from a classmate and showed it to his grandmother. Instead of
questioning him about it she kept quiet. The boy’s thefts went unchecked until
one day he was arrested. If the boy had been corrected in time, he would not
have become a thief. Timely action would have prevented him from falling into
wrong ways. Thus the saying advises us to take timely action for ” a small
hole, if neglected, will sink a big ship”.
A Friend in Need is A Friend Indeed
The proverb stands
as a touchstone of true friendship.
It states that only
that person who helps us when we are in need or difficulty is a true friend.
In our daily life
we come across people who over a period of time become close to us. But we
cannot be sure if they are true friends or just fair-weather friends. Many
people develop contacts with influential people for their benefit. It will be a
great mistake if one considers these apparently close people as friends. The
test of true friendship is in time of difficulties. On the other hand, the
fair-weather friends disappear in times of trails. They find excuses to
distance themselves from us.
But a true friend will always stick to a
person if that person is in deep trouble. He will be concerned about the
welfare of a person when he considers as a friend. If need be, he will make
every effort to help his friend overcome the difficult situation, instead of
running away from him. As the saying goes, ‘prosperity makes friends and
adversity tries them’. The Epics of India
showcase timeless illustrations of true friendship. In the Ramayana, it is between
Rama and Sugreva. In the Mahabharata, it is between Krishna and Kuchela;
between Duryodhana and Karna. Such friendship stands the test of time. Such
friends are life’s greatest blessing. Friendship with people like these last a
lifetime.
Thus the proverb
not only shows the nature of a true friend but also offers a method of choosing
good friends. It also cautions us of ‘fair-weather’ friends.
It is our common
experience to hear politicians make tall promise before elections, and to
conveniently forget them after they are elected. Their actions do not match
their words. That is why we do not trust them.
Words sound good.
But actions prove the genuineness of one's intentions. In olden times a man.s
word was a matter of honor, even unto the point of death. In modern times,
people make all kinds of big promises which they have little intention of
keeping. People like to say nice thing to give a good impression of themselves.
But once they have left the place they think nothing of what they claim to do.
We can only call such person a cheater or a liar. A person who says one thing
and does something to the contrary is a highly irresponsible person, and ought
not to be trusted.
We too should
develop the habit of matching our actions with words at all times.
Practice Makes Perfect
You cannot become a world-class
musician unless you take up your instrument and play on it daily for hours
together. You cannot become a Tendulkar merely through inborn skill. You have
to go to the nets every day for hours to practise. You need a coach to guide
you and to tell you where you go wrong.
Merit-holders in board examinations
do not achieve their marks by pure inspiration. They have studied throughout
the year and revised and re-revised and made themselves perfect in whatever
they have set out to study. It is only regular practice that makes one perfect.
If you don‟t practise your work regularly, you will, at the most, be average in
your performance. You will not win prizes or medals or awards. the most
difficult task can be performed by anyone if they take the trouble to practise
daily and regularly. In fact, you can achieve almost anything with
practice.
God helps those who help themselves.
There are students who don't study
all through the year and then one day before the examination they go to the
temple, make offerings and perform pooja and think that God will answer their
prayers and give them a good result in the examination. Such students will
definitely break down the courage of themselves completely. God does not work
for us but he always works with us. It means we need to perform the work
continuously. He only helps those who help themselves.
There is the story of a scientist
who worked for years in order to find out the cause of malaria. He had
performed hundreds of experiments and almost given up hope. The he prayed and
fell asleep. The next morning he woke up with a new idea in his hand. He tried
it out and he had found the cure for malaria. Thus we see that God helps only
those who helps themselves. This is because God has given us all talents,
attributes and the thinking power to achieve what we want. After being given
all these, why should we again rely on God to achieve success? We should rely
on the gifts that God has given us to make progress in life, rather than on God
to do it for us.
Dreamers create a world of their own
Dreams are an integral part of man’s
life. Whether he is awake or asleep, man loves dreaming. Dreams take us to a
different world ..... a world of our own ..... a world, where no one else can
have any access ........ an imaginary world, where, often, every impossible
thing becomes possible.
Stop dreaming and we come back to
the same old world of limitations and deadlines. Nothing works the way we want
and we face many set – backs and disappointments, frustration and failure. All
inventions and discoveries are a result of man’s dreaming. Great novels and
stories and the scripts for films and plays originate from a mind which
imagined and dreamt.
A dreamer is a happy man. Asleep or
awake, he is in his own world, creating his own thoughts, his own thrills.
Whether one agrees or not, don’t we all love to go to sleep ......and to dream
......... and don’t we all hat to wake up after that ? Yes ! A dream world is
our own world of happiness.
All that glitters is not gold
Appearances are often deceptive. Many
things may superficially appear very attractive. When they are examined from
close quarters, they prove to be disappointing. One cannot judge the quality of
a thing by seeing its exterior portion only. Thus it is rightly said "All
that glitters is not gold"
Physical appearance has always been
of great importance for human beings. For centuries, poets have written about
beauty, musicians have sung about it and painters have portrayed beautiful
features on canvas. However, people worry so much about physical appearance
nowadays that sometimes it stops being our ally to become our greatest enemy.
Many things may superficially appear very attractive. When they are examined
from close quarters, they prove to be disappointing. One cannot judge the
quality of a thing by seeing its exterior portion only. We should try to find
out the reality hidden behind their glittering facade. A book with a beautiful
cover has no guarantee of its being interesting.
A beautiful packaged product
launched in the market after massive advertising campaign may attract the
consumer. He may but that product once but if the product is of poor quality,
he would not buy it again. A wise discerning person does not accept things at
face value. He gets suspicious of a person or thing which appears too good to
be true. His trained eyes can see beyond the superficial appearance of an
object. Thus this proverb actually is a warning to enable us to see the real
picture and not to be deceived by the exterior.
Pollution : The Bane of Machine Age
Today's world cannot be imagined
without machines. It is not just comfort for all of us but also our basic
necessity. Cell phones, cars, refrigerators, air conditioners, and so on at
every step we are dependant on machines. Life was never so simple just a click
and you are connected to the whole world. But everything comes with a price
tag. What price are we paying for all the comfort we are enjoying? Our
environment and it is a big price. Every coin has two sides.
Machines have reduced work but also put
us in great peril, the only habitat that shelters all creatures i.e. our planet
earth is immensely harmed .Pollution is
slowly degrading our environment
every minute. Environmental pollution is one of the biggest problems the world
faces today. It is an issue that troubles us economically, physically and
everyday of our lives. The contamination of the environment is also being
linked to some of the diseases that are around currently. Yet, most people
pretend that there is no problem because they are dependent and sometimes
addicted to machines. We must do some thing as soon as possible to curb this
problem, not only for the good of the environment but also for the people that
live in it. Many factors are present for why environmental pollution has become
such a large issue in the world. However, if the people of the world were to
address the issue it would definitely help both the environment and its people.
There are many activities that can be done by both the common people and
governments of the world, which could improve the environmental problem. On the
other hand, if the current way the world's environmental problem is being
handled continues, catastrophic consequences can follow for the future
population.
Thus machine age brought solutions
to many problems but has also done harm to our environment in the form of
pollution thus putting a question mark on the very existence of human species.
Nature, the best teacher
Of all the teachers who have helped
shape my life, I would say Mother Nature has been the best. Not only does she
like a mother nurture her pupils but also like a strict disciplinarian punishes
students who step out of line.
A student of nature learns lessons
throughout his lifetime. He learns about the world around him as nature’s classrooms
have no boundaries or timeframe. Nature has been the inspiration for some of
the greatest human creation, be it ‘Daffodils’ by William Wordsworth or kung fu
moves by the Shaolin monks. Nature has different lessons for different people.
The trees teach us to provide cover to the weak and tired. They also teach us
not to be rigid in the face of strong opposition and like plants be adaptable.
The animal kingdom teaches us about when to strike, always be on the alert and
many such lessons.
As You Sow So Shall You Reap.
This well-known proverb ‘As you sow
so shall you reap’ might have been derived on seeing a farmer. A farmer sows
the seeds expecting to reap a good harvest. If he ploughs his field well,
waters the crop, uses fertilizers and takes pains to see to every aspect of its
growth, naturally he would profit from a bountiful harvest. On the other hand,
if a farmer does not take care of the crop from the time he has sown the seeds,
the final product will not satisfy him. The inherent meaning is that the
consequences depend on the action. Our present makes our future. If you toil
and strive and mould your present well enough, you are bound to reap its
fruits. Gandhiji had rightly said, ‘Power comes from sincere service’. Mother
Teresa, on account of her care and compassion for the poor and destitute,
gained love and adulation from the masses. A child who is well matured and
motivated to study well will surely shine in his academic field and grow up
into a good Samaritan. All men desire the blessings of perfect bliss. We can
either make or mar our own destiny. Each of us can be an architect of our own
future and fortune. If he sows the seeds of sin and corruption, he will reap
the harvest of ruin. Hence our duty is clear, we must be virtuous to achieve happiness,
for as we sow so shall we reap.
LAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE
In an age where man does not find
time to think about himself, laughter can be considered as a good agent of
relaxation. In today’s mechanized and busy life, people don’t get enough time
to socialize. As a result there is no relaxation. Laughter serves as
stress-buster as it releases positive energy. It fills the person with
enthusiasm and zeal and he is ready to face the world again. Nowadays, we can
see many laughter clubs coming up in big cities. These clubs function mainly
because of the drudgery of human life in today’s world. People take
anti-anxiety drugs for relaxation. These drugs have far-reaching effects which
are damaging for the kidneys and other organs of the body. Instead of taking
these medicines if people interact with their family members and friends and
have a hearty laugh then they would be more relaxed. They will get new energy
for their work and it will enhance their performance. Laughter is certainly the
best medicine which has only favourable effects. When a person cracks a joke,
we laugh. When we laugh, the blood circulation within our body improves and as
a result our face glows with radiance. So, next time, you feel low, have a
hearty laugh and feel the difference. You’ll feel refreshed and replenished
with new vigour and enthusiasm.
SPEECH IS THE GIFT OF ALL, BUT THE
THOUGHT OF FEW.
Barring people who are dumb, human
beings have been blessed with the gift of speech. Without freedom of speech one
feels curbed, confined and constricted. No man can grow to his fullest stature
without freedom of speech and expression. But while almost everybody talks, few
people take the trouble of thinking. Talking comes naturally to a human being,
but thinking requires mental exertion.
Everybody is gifted with reason, but
few people make use of this faculty. Man is a rational animal, but all men do
not benefit by the rational faculty. Thinking is, indeed, foreign to most
people. The result is that words are spoken, decisions are taken, and actions
are performed by people without any previous thinking. The want of thinking in
most such cases leads to unpleasant, and even disastrous, consequences. If an
individual says or does something thoughtlessly, he may have to pay heavily for
it. If a politician makes speech without giving due thought to what he says, he
may cause a tumult, agitation and even a riot. Some people have the gift of the
gab but little capacity for thinking. They often blurt out words, without
realizing the implications of what they are saying. They are reckless in
speech. So thinking is an essential part of a wise man’s mental equipment.
Indeed, a wise man speaks less and thinks more. And whatever he speaks is the
result of his thinking. But wise men are in small minority in this world. The
world is inhabited largely by talkative people who consider thinking to be an
avoidable hardship.
The Fruits of Labour are Sweeter
than the gifts of Fortune.
The meaning of this well known
proverb is ‘a sense of achievement’. Self-satisfaction in life and the feeling
of achievement are of utmost significance of life. Hard work will lead to
success, which will bring in a lot of materialistic pleasures but all these
will give only a temporary satisfaction. The ultimate pleasure is the
satisfaction of body, mind and the soul which can be achieved only through hard
work.
Material achievement is temporary
and can give rise to insecurity. However, the fruits of labour are
permanent. A student who has worked very hard the entire year will find immense
happiness in his excellent results, but a student who has not really worked
hard but through sheer fluke is blessed with an excellent result will not know
how to derive pleasure from it. As is said ‘Failures are stepping stones to
success’, we must learn from failures consistently. Saurav Ganguly was written
off by everyone but he kept his cool and regained his form. Abhishekh Bachhan
gave several flops at the beginning of his career but he didn’t give up. Today,
he is one of the most successful actors. Our own parents and grandparents move
ahead so positively in life despite their ill-health at times. Isn’t that
inspiring enough? Remember, we control our destiny. Let us emerge stronger and
control our lives instead of letting our lives control us. Let’s be people of
substance.
WORK IS WORSHIP
All human beings need to live a more
meaningful life than the one they are born with. Work is natural to man. It is
work that adds meaning to life. No matter how adverse the circumstances be, if
one continues to work diligently without losing faith and hope, then his duties
take the form of worship.
If we keep busy working with full
diligence and sincerity, we experience a sense of contentment that a devotee
does. God is pleased if we do our duties. Therefore work is as good as worship.
At the end of the day if the time has been utilized productively, we have a
sense of satisfaction which keeps us physically and mentally healthy. Think how
life would be had there been no work. Work therefore gives us a definite goal
and draws us nearer to God.
JUSTICE DELAYED IS JUSTICE DENIED
At his best, man is the noblest of
all animals separated from
law and justice he is worst said
Aristotle but when justice is delayed
it is even worse. Justice is a legal
maxim meaning that if legal redress is available for a party that has suffered
some injury, but is not forthcoming in a timely fashion, it is effectively the
same as having no redress at all.
The legal system and the procedure
to deliver justice is one way a government can build trust among the citizens
of that country but when justice is not prompt it is worse than not giving
justice at all as then law can be used as a shield to defend the wrongdoer and
boost the moral of all those who violate the law and injure the innocent not
just physically but also mentally. It will bring anarchy and chaos in the
society and life and property will no more remain safe.
Thus if justice is given in a timely
manner than it acts like a strong foundation for a prosperous society for
flourish and burgeon rapidly.
Knowledge is Power.
The literal meaning of ‘Knowledge is
Power’ is that power can be obtained or experienced through knowledge. If one
has enough knowledge about something or anything, it helps you become powerful.
One can command the others as the less knowledgeable have to depend on you for
help.
A highly qualified person is
self-sufficient in his profession and can manage a high profile job
efficiently. Similarly , a housewife who is trained in all aspects of running
the house will not need anyone’s advice, for she can manage things smoothly.
People who are fond of reading gain immense knowledge about various things.
They are silent listeners too. This habit helps them tremendously to gain vast
knowledge which works in their favor. A good leader must have knowledge to be
able to control his followers. The followers will look up to him as they lack
the knowledge he possesses A well read, clever student will be respected by his
classmates as well as his teachers. Just like kings and emperors were powerful
due to the vastness of the armies, their weaponry and the strength of the
armies, ordinary humans can also become powerful through hard work, dedication,
determination and an ambition to be powerful in the field they have skill and
talent. Truly as Bacon says, “Knowledge is Power”.
A Stitch in Time Saves Nine.
This well known proverb ‘A Stitch in
Time Saves Nine’ literally refers to the mending of clothes before they become
irreparable. What is true of clothes is true for anything that needs mending.
The advantage of a stitch in time does not limit itself to fabrics alone.
Figuratively, it refers to health, medicine, morals, education and
politics.
We have often heard a doctor telling
his patient that an earlier consultation would have avoided the present painful
suffering. a popular story of the son who had turned into a thief and finally
went to the prison. He wished his mother had used the ‘timely stitch’.
In our personal lives, too,
the timely stitches are of immense value. Before our wayward tendencies can
turn into confirmed habits, let us apply the stitch in time. Our ancestors must
have realized the importance of ‘timely stitches’ and stored their wisdom in
this proverb for us to benefit by it. They have done their duty. Let us do
ours.
Example is better than precept.
People generally like to give
advice, but do not like to be advised. All of us are natural-born preachers.
But when it comes to practicing what we preach, we make up excuses. Very often
giving advance can become sheer nagging. It can become so irritating that it
has no more or even the opposite effect on the hearer. Children are keen
observers. Even though the elders do not know it, children are all the while
keenly observing their behaviour. They are aware of the gulf between the adults
speech and their actual behaviour, between their words and deeds, between their
preaching and practice. Naturally, they do not pay enough heed to the elders
advice and instruction. By preaching things which they themselves don‟t
practice, the elders only expose themselves as hypocrites and succeed in
teaching youngsters a lesson in hypocrisy. The best way to teach is not to
preach but to set and example by actually putting the preaching into practice.
This is because human beings and especially children, are imitative by nature.
In fact, the instinct to copy is very powerful in human beings. We should make
the fullest use of this instinct to teach children what we want them to learn.
If a father wants his child to never start the habit of smoking, he should
first give up smoking himself. If parents wants their children to pick up good
manners, they should themselves be models of good behaviour. In short, we
should ourselves do what we want others to do. This is because example is
better than precept and deeds are more powerful than words. Actions speak
louder than words. An ounce of praise is more than a ton of precept.
Cleanliness is Next to Godliness
An unclean environment is an insult
to the Creator. Everything that God has created is beautiful, and nature has in
it the power to follow the norms of hygiene and sanitation. It is only man who
makes his environment dirty and, very often, and for reasons best known to
himself, is happy to keep it that way. When you go to a place of religious
worship, don‟t you bathe first ? Don‟t you put on your clothes? Remember, this
world is our temple and the first norm of cleanliness that we must follow is
that of personal hygiene. This involves keeping one‟s body, clothes, belongings
and home clean. This prevents diseases and prolongs life and its quality. It
also makes the mind fresh and open to do better work. Cleanliness must also
extend toward the neighborhood and the environment in general. For this, one
must develop clean social and civic habits. It is wrong to spit on the roads,
urinate in public or throw litter anywhere you please. By doing such things we
are defacing the property that belongs to us -our nation. We are also spoiling
this wonderful place that God has given us to live on -our earth.