The behaviour of the respected and elder persons in society is an example and ideal for others; it is followed and imitated by the succeeding generations as well. Today there is catastrophe and misery in human society and there is one reason: the defective leadership of society. People blindly follow even unintelligent leaders. The leaders hypnotize and attract thousands with their tall talks, gestures and other dramatics. Understand that the poverty and misery of any people in any country are the sins of the leaders. True leaders should always be vigilant and think how to work best for human society: they must be ever cautious that under their guidance the people are not led to darkness, death and immorality.

Those who have the responsibility to show the path to others should be of superlative character with the most refined conduct. They and their followers must move constantly towards all-round development and shreya [ultimate spiritual attainment]. Persons who teach such well-regulated behaviour to others by their own conduct are called ácáryas.

Bear in mind that people may be harmed or misled by even a small weakness or defect in the conduct of an ácárya. Just as it is the duty of a father to educate his children properly by his good conduct, an ácárya or ácáryá should always instruct by his or her exemplary actions and words.

In every period of history, some people are heard saying: “Today’s society is ruined, the people degenerated. Life was better in the old days.” The same view is expressed in every era. Have human beings really lost their humanity? Don’t they hold the highest position in the evolution of living things?

All the psychological diseases of humanity are the result of not having bhúmadrśt́i (Cosmic outlook) in life. The diseased persons do not consider others, but think only about themselves. They are busy thinking about their own families, employers, etc., and they forget everyone else. This is a terrible malady. But it is a mere expression and symptom of narrow-mindedness, the real root and reason for psychological disease. The cure is to reverse the trend of behaviour to rid the fallen human beings of narrow-mindedness. The medicine is one and only one: Brahmabháva [ideation on Supreme Consciousness]. But just adopting the supreme goal does not immediately establish one in that. It is the work of the ácárya to recognize if a person is on the right or wrong path and course of action. The ácárya should give direction and guidance in every work, big or small. When he or she is to impart any duty to anyone, he should be strict, strong and exact, like a diamond. He or she should never consider social position, wealth, rank, etc. Only those who are established in Yama and Niyama [moral code] and practise sádhaná can be given any responsibility.

Remember, Ananda Marga is a man-making mission. Both quantity and quality are important. Everyone should be free to join Ananda Marga, to take part in social functions, etc., but only those established in Yama and Niyama may be given any position to work in society. Just to satisfy someone and compromise [with] sin is unthinkable. We can in no case ever compromise with injustice. An employer and a worker may compromise after a struggle. But Ananda Marga is fighting for Satya (Absolute Truth) and unless and until we get total victory in both individual and collective life we must not stop the struggle. Compromising with injustice during battle is asatya [untruth]. Achieving only seventy-five percent Satya and twenty-five percent asatya is no victory. Quinine suppresses the symptoms of malaria, while the disease still remains in the blood. But the disease must be destroyed. Therefore, until you banish asatya you shall not stop your battle.

Society is the collective name for those who want to move ahead together. The struggle against sin must be waged individually as well as in a well-unified way in collective social life. There is a story in the Márkańd́eya Puráńa. In it, the demons defeated each of the gods individually, but then the gods united all their individual strengths and formed a tremendous collective force, thereby routing and destroying the demons. It is a very good story and there can be practical application of its meaning in every collective endeavour. It is the duty of an ácárya to develop this great collective force of society by awakening the masses to unite and destroy the evil, demoniac forces existing in society. The struggle between good and evil forces goes on. Sound an urgent clarion call in this battlefield of life. Ácáryas must give such inspiration to the people. You know, a son must remove the debt of his deceased father – he is morally bound to do so. Similarly, you are to purify society by purging it of sin. It is more than an obligation, it is your bounden duty. You must do this or total destruction is inevitable. To take leadership in society you must be established in Yama and Niyama in just such a strict way.