Man may do many things, right or wrong, good or bad, but it is the purity of your mind that matters. The following story is to illustrate how much your life depends on the quality of your thoughts ( मनोगुण ).

Once on the shores of गङ्गा a ब्राह्मण and a चण्डाल sat side by side and performed penance. After some days of foodless penance the ब्राह्मण felt hungry and his thoughts went to the fishermen he had seen earlier. He thought thus, "Oh how happy are these fishermen. They catch good fishes and eat to their heart's content and are happy. They are the luckiest people of this world". The thoughts of the चण्डाल also went to the fishermen. But he thought thus: "Oh how cruel are these fishermen! How many innocent lives do they destroy to fill their belly. They must be demons to do so." Both of them died after some days and the ब्राह्मण was born as a fisherman and the चण्डाल a prince. Both of them were re-born near their abodes in their previous birth and both remembered their previous lives. The चण्डाल was happy but the ब्राह्मण regretted his fault. (Taraṅga 1, Madanamañcukālambaka, Kathāsaritsāgara)