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is only natural that one who wants to succeed in the world does what he can do. Success hides all wrong doings. How a man rises to become a president from the position of a peon is no more in question once he has become a president. No one bothers how he has become a president, by what means, by what treacheries, by what lies and by what tricks. There is no need to ask how he became a president. Neither anybody will ask, nor is there any question of asking. Once a man becomes successful all sins cease to be. Success is the only goal. Then why should I not succeed by telling lies and by becoming dishonest? If I try to tell the truth and I become unsuccessful, then what else shall I do?
Thus we have made success the center of life; and when lying and dishonesty increase, we become very unhappy. As long as success is the only standard of evaluation, there will be lies, dishonesty and thefts. They cannot be removed, because what can be done if one is able to succeed only through dishonesty and stealing? Everything else is subordinated to success when success is the only value. We go on shouting and crying that dishonesty is increasing. It is bound to increase, because that is the fruit of all that we have been teaching for five thousand years.
Success is not of any value. Success is not a matter of great respect or honor. A man must be fulfilled, not successful. It is better if a man becomes unsuccessful in a good cause rather than becoming successful in a bad cause. Respect should be given to good deeds, not to success. But success has become a value and the whole of life is revolving around that center.
An education commission was set up recently. Its chairman said, "We are teaching our children to speak the truth. We are explaining this in many ways, but children continue to tell lies, many times."
I asked the chairman whether he would like his son to be a scavenger of the roads or a peon in a school, "or would you like your son to also become a chairman of a commission or an overseas ambassador, rising slowly step by step to the very top? If he became a scavenger, wouldn't you be disturbed?"
He said, "It would definitely disturb
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