And after the family the public life, the life of the community, the life of the nation: these also are schools for the unfolding of the spiritual consciousness.

For the man who is a good citizen of the community feels the life of the community as his own life, and so becomes conscious of a larger Self than the narrow self of the family.

And the man who loves his nation, his Self widens out to the boundaries of the nation, and he is conscious of a larger Self than the self of the family, or the community within the State.

And just in proportion as the love widening does not grow superficial and shallow (for if you have only a certain amount of water and you make your dish wider and wider, the water will become shallower and shallower) does it approach spiritual love.

Too often love becomes unreal with those who try to love the far-off when they do not love the near.