Isn't it our duty to discourage someone who wants to bribe you--to take your stand and not encourage bribery?

    What is sin is sin, after all. There may be a little difference in degree. You can be responsible for your own self first.

What I mean is for my own self, not to encourage bribery regardless of what the results would be.

    Yes, that's all right, but with sweet words.

Yes, yes.

Otherwise that will bring anger. Use sweet words.

By example.

    By example, there are two ways: "O well, I'm not going to buy this thing," or he can say, "Well dear friend, I hope you won't mind, I cannot buy this." Sweetly, that's the main thing.

I had an experience the other day. I was invited to supper. I said, "No. Although I would like to be with you I don't even have the time. But if it's possible, I will try to come. "I went there. And on the way back from supper they took me to a bar.

    What?

Into a saloon, where they sell beer. And ls aid, that's against my laws. I mean I don't drink.
But I think the influence, your influence went. They asked me for ten rupees.

    That's all right.

But when they heard Kirpal Singh then they didn't ask anymore. They said, no, there is no price.

    Don't I tell you, don't mix with others. Just ask somebody who they are, what they are like. You're in a foreign land not fully conversant about what people are like. They may be good; there are good people too. There are other people who are, what you say, who appear to be very 'world like', you see. But... Stick to your principles without harsh words. Use sweet words, that's all. Sometimes man is driven, I tell you. There's the question of whether or not he has faith in God. If he thinks that everything is already destined here, then he'll act accordingly, otherwise he will be just driven, "If I'll do it, I'll be safe."
    I tell you, there was one Saint at Lahore, many years back. Though I do not advocate this example, it does appeal to some sense. Suppose you are standing in line for a ticket at a railway station. (That is the example he gave out.) And there is a long wait to go on to the train. All men are not quite righteous, so if you bribe some policeman at the station, he will give you priority, put you in the front. You are in dire necessity to go. The train is leaving. That sin lies on the man who asked for the bribe. He was driven to it. But don't take it as an example for everybody, you see. Stick to your principles, sweetly. Kind words don't cost anything.

No, I thought I had very good results from it.

    That's all right. I have given only what happened when a man is driven to extremities and he has no faith at the same time. If we are Saints, all right.
    There was a case at Delhi--a police constable, who was honest. He was initiated. When he was promoted from his detail and put in charge of police stations there, so long as he remained in that area, no theft was committed. Police stations are there to guard. There was nothing wrong. Before his appointment, sometimes there was whistling on one side and the theft occurring on the other side. (Some policemen were in the habit of accepting bribes.) Because of this he was transferred. He was not wanted, you see -- he stood in the way of income. So he was transferred to Punjab, Amritsar and then again re-transferred here to Delhi, now in higher courts. All of these cases were handled honestly, governed by the department which he headed. So if you stick to your principles honestly, sweetly, I tell you all this honor will be administered of itself. "You may place somebody else here. Don't expect dishonesty from me." Reaction will be there. Many thought, "He will go I'll tell you." He appeared for some cases which were very involved. He said, there was fraud everywhere, all through India. In all cases he was honest, you see. He was initiated. Stick to your own principles sweetly, that's all. Don't deceive your own self, that's all. The God is within you. Master Power is within you.

In other words, if you have certain principles, you must stick by them, and when the opportunity comes, that's the time to test for you.

    Surely. Stick to them. Stick to them but not harshly.

No, not harshly. The result is if you can part as friends.

    Surely. I'm quoting an instance, a concrete case. He is in charge of all the police centers. He's especially sent to Bengal and other such places for that purpose.
    Honesty and righteousness has its own reward. Kind thoughts, kind words, kind deeds, is what constitutes righteousness. Well, don't deceive your own self. That's what I always say. Be true to your own self.

I feel that if something is right or wrong, were it my son or someone else's son, I have the same feeling.

    Poison is poison whether is has been given to the son, the daughter or the brother, or to anyone else. After all, sin is sin. What you have come to know, politely tell them, "This is the way." I will quote now a family circumstance.
    My son, who is still alive, was detailed for clearing of all these supplies, or contracts, to Bombay. Three men were detailed for that. He was one. I think they had to clear all things within a month. He did not earn money dishonestly, you see. Contact Assistant, they called him. He wrote me a letter, "Well, I have come here, one of the three. Others have made thousands of rupees and I have not made any." Well, he always said, "My father never told me that he was pleased with me outwardly." Then I wrote him, "Well, this is the first time I am writing that I'm pleased with you." You see? Whether your son or anybody else lives up to principles, that's all right. So sons cannot be spared I tell you. Law is law. Ignorance of law is no excuse. I wrote him that. "Well, you always had the grounds that I never told you, now I say that I am pleased with what you have done." How can I be pleased with you people if you don't live up to what I say, if you don't put in any time to your meditations to be successful there? I'll be pleased, overjoyed when you go up, traverse within. You see? So to live by the commandments is the best thing, first step. All else will follow.
    All these relations, sons, daughters, wives, husbands, friends, foes, are only with you for the winding up of all give and take. Pay off. Have your way back to God. The Father is pleased only when the children obey His commandments. Live by them, without any outer show. Otherwise there is the creation of new gives and takes. So for that you've got the panacea for all ills of the day and that is within you. If you stick to It you will have strength of soul, you see. Outward food gives strength to the body. Reading and writing, this and that thing, will give you food for your intellect. And that will give strength to your soul, make it strong enough so that you can stand against any odds. The only thing is you must be conscious of that Power inside. If we are conscious of That, then there will be no troubles. Everything will come up in due course. You must have some director, not only to give you direction but to lead you there too; give you a contact within.
    So all right. God Bless you.