Awaken Your Inner Wisdom by Sister Jayanti

Author:Sister Jayanti
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781780997629
Publisher: Brahma Kumaris Information Services Ltd

MY OWN STORY

On one occasion in the past, after much thought had confirmed to me that I was right, I explained to someone who was my senior that that a situation was wrong. She did not accept my view. I knew this senior figure was very sensible and so this left me confused, “I’m right,” I thought, “and she’s very sensible but she’s just not understanding me – and I think I’m being as clear as I possibly can be. What’s going on?” I decided not to force the point, but instead to go into my inner space of silence. When I did become silent, my senior explained, “Of course I can see; how could I not see? But what is it that I must acknowledge and support? Am I going to support that negative view – your negative stance – or am I going to support the positive within the situation and within the individual, so that they can be empowered to move on? I’m not going to support negative stories, even if they are right.”

She was correct, of course. It is very easy to be critical, because all of us feel we are intelligent and that we understand. Yet every time we are critical of someone, we are poisoning our relationship with that person. We are poisoning the atmosphere, too. But most dangerous of all, we are poisoning our own minds. And when we poison our minds, we destroy the seed of wisdom, maybe even before it has had the chance to germinate. Instead of being critical, we must distinguish between discerning right from wrong and criticism. The two are not the same. Indeed, discernment is very important. It’s our emotional reaction and our expression of right and wrong that becomes a critical expression because the emotions of attachment and possessiveness cloud our ability to give clear guidance as to what is right or wrong. To be more discerning, we need to lay down guidelines and assert some discipline.

Let’s use this as an example: suppose that teenagers are coming home later and later – in the early hours of the morning rather than during the evening – and pushing the boundaries further and further. There comes a point at which the parent needs to sit down with them and explain the rules of the house and the discipline they are expected to observe. Once the teenagers leave home, of course, the rules become their choice; but while parents are responsible, they must be in control of the discipline. It takes clarity, wisdom and love to be able to do that and stay clear of criticism. Otherwise emotion and attachment either lead parents to avoid confrontation and have a laissez-faire attitude, or else they make them become overbearing and angry, which may lead the children to rebel. So how do you develop the clarity and wisdom to be able to be discerning without being critical?

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