“Conscience is the root of all true courage; if a man would be brave let him obey his conscience,” so said J E Clarke. Conscience is man’s most secret core and highly sacred sanctuary. There, he is alone with God whose voice echoes in his depths. It is a voice, ever calling him to love and to do what is good and to avoid evil and like a compass, giving him direction. One of the greatest teachers of all time, Pythagoras, demanded that every night his pupils examine themselves on their progress that day. They were to ask themselves these questions: How did I succeed in my studies today? Could I have learned more? Could I have studied better? Is there something I neglected? To progress in studies, if I need to examine this much, how much more have I to do to live a conscientious life? Do I have a Check list?
I recall an incident that took place in one of the villages in Tamil Nadu, a few months back. A man from our neighbouring village killed his friend out of spite and jealousy as his friend became very influential and his son got a very good job in U.S. After committing this wicked act, he started doing charitable works hoping to calm his conscience. This sort of savage treatment is common. I myself do not know how often do I silence my Conscience?
‘To live with no conscience is to live like a beast; to live with good conscience, a perpetual feast.’
