Day 20. Pride and Prejudice- 5

 Man is born with certain attributes, without being taught at all- they include Kama, krodha, mada, matsara, lobha, moha, ahamkara et al.  to which one may add criticism. Emotions like love, understanding, sharing, caring, helping, co-operation, harmony etc. are specifically taught to kids and others.(It starts with teaching kids to say sorry for  their mistakes). This is called adapted behaviour in Transactional Analysis( TA)

Many people cannot live without criticizing one or other. Our social and other media is full of criticism. To become popular, one method is to criticize a celebrity -present or past. It will fetch some brownie points from someone or other.

Criticism is a product of one’s prejudices which none will admit to oneself normally and others cannot point out this defect after a time/age.

 All are looking at the mirror like the queen and asking Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all?  “Thou, O Queen, art the fairest in the land,” said the mirror.  You must have heard the story and the end too.  But all are happy to get such a response, even now !

 The following exercise will help to take a self- test. This I have used in a large number of classes. It conveys a great deal about human bias. Give  an honest answer to yourself. Exercise is simple, write on a page the following, speedily. 

                                                  4 + 4   = 8

                                                 5 + 3   = 8

                                                6 +   2 = 8

                                                2 +   7 = 8                

                                             10 -    2 = 8      

Now answer the question. What did you notice first in the above equations?

Multiple answers have come in class rooms. But the majority has stated that they noticed the fourth equation first viz. obvious totalling error. Did you also notice that first? Why this is put here or asked in class room training?

·        To convey/show a  mirror of our own pride/ prejudices to ourselves.

·        This conveys a great teaching for human beings. We are all waiting to pounce on the shortcomings/perceived mistakes of others. Many get a vicarious pleasure in that.

·         Hence the superiors will often fire juniors over some minor grammatical or spelling errors in a letter or agenda note etc.

·         They don’t often appreciate that it needs skill/efforts/time to draft a note/agenda/report etc., but it is pretty easy to pick a hole in that.

·         Look at a beautiful marble statue, say, with a crooked nose. All will be able to comment on that defect promptly.

·        But how many will be able to sculpt a statue like that, even with the nose crooked?

 Such inconvenient questions are neither asked nor answered! But in spiritual path one will have to ask them. One has to chisel one’s own personality to acquire mental purity, a pre- requisite for spiritual evolution.

A spiritual seeker should ponder on that closely. Yama and Niyama will definitely help in the pursuit.

Be Happy.  Be safe.

9AM