Hari
Om
Each 'Choose-day' we will investigate the process by
which we can reassess our activity and interaction with the world of plurality
and become more congruent within our personality.
We are reading "Tips for Happy
Living - jIvnsUÇai[
/jiivanasuutraani", by Swami Tejomayananda (Guru-ji). Choose-days writings
are here to prompt deeper thinking on the choices made on a daily basis and
seek to provide prompts for raising the standard of one's thinking and living.
This text composed in format of Sanskrit traditional teachings, speaks directly
to this purpose. As ever, the full text may be obtained from CM Publications - or your local centre
(see sidebar).
A
student who has been paying attention will now be pondering and the questions
will arise; "The Self in me is the Self in all. Then is not everyone like
myself? As mentioned earlier, should I not be to them as I would have them be
to me?"
AaTmvLlaekaNpZyeÚ
tu twa _aavyet!.6.
Sauodu>oaidiv;ykSvkLpnamNyiSmÚaraepyet!.7.
Tae_y>
SvatNÇ(< àyCDet!.8.
Aatmavallokaan-pashyenna
tu tathaa bhaavayet ||6||
Sukha-dukhaadi-vishayaka-svakalpanaam-anyasmin-naaropayet
||7||
tebhyaH
svaatantryam prayachcchet ||8||
Once should look upon people as one's own Self, but do
not consider them to be like oneself.
One should not impose one's ideas of joy, sorrow and
son, on others.
Give them freedom.
One
Self, different minds! The Self in me is indeed the Self in all. Therefore we
should treat all as ourself. In desiring to be happy, respected, loved and
forgiven by all, so it is that we sould, in turn, make others happy, respect,
love and forgive all.
However,
it takes all types to make the world. Variety is the spice of life and all
that! The quality of our mind, intentions, attitudes, likes, dislikes and
beliefs differ. Each person has a different way of thinking and different
opinions about things. Understanding this, we should not impose our likes,
dislikes and such on others. We may like classical music, but another may find
it grating or boring. We may like the colour orange, but another may find it
irritating… each has the right to live according to their beliefs, as long as
it does not harm others. One may be spiritual, another may not. Another may be
a ritualist, another an atheist. We cannot insist on another being exactly like
us; to do so is rigid, becomes fanaticism, dictatorship. We cannot consider
ourselves superior, that our opinions alone are right, that our way is the only
way and the 'gospel truth'. Each of us has the freedom to be as we wish.
Also,
the mind is constantly changing. How can others keep changing their thoughts
and behaviours to suit our own? Why should they? We shold respect others' right
to their thoughts, behaviour and lifestyle. We can agree to disagree and live
and let live. Only then can there be harmony in relationships.
