Keep the mind and the intellect serene and sacred, free from dirt. When
thoughts and feelings are impure and agitated, you cannot be calm and
happy. When the mind is polluted, so are our reactions. To keep the
mind clean, you must analyse sympathetically situations involving
others and their activities, and then decide on how to react to them.
You should not rush to draw conclusions. Adopting the reactions of
others is certainly not desirable. You must resolve on any action only after
intelligent discrimination and inquiry. “Some course of action
is being followed by someone; so, we shall follow that
course ourselves” - this attitude is mean and demeaning, it is a
sign of weakness. It is the consequence of basic ignorance. Only sheep
behave in that manner.
- Vidya Vahini, Ch
16.