A Word of Wisdom

[Guest guest]

Namaste!

 

One of the valuable lessons of this list is to learn how to argue

about issues we care deeply about without getting emotional. Perhaps

I have not always done this in an exemplary manner. On the other

hand, thanks to whatever I have learned from Advaita, I feel no

shame. Losing face means nothing to me. I have been taught to 'be

the witness' and look in a detached way at my body and mind and

simply observe what is wrong and take corrective action. It is as

when our car breaks down on the road. We must not get angry and

identify with the car. We must simply assess the situation in a

detached way and do what must be done.

 

A dear friend of mine from the list, who will be identified only

as 'V', sent me the following note privately, for which I am

grateful. My response follows.

 

>Dear B.,

>

>This is your friend from [a city in India] taking the liberty

>of writing this to you. A few observations.

>

>First on sanskrit. The term 'bhakti' stands only for devotion.

>For devotee the word is 'bhakta'. I have seen you use 'bhakti'

>once or twice in contexts where I thought you meant devotee.

>Hence this observation.

>

>Your replies are always very erudite and invariably well argued.

>But sometimes I get a feeling that they may be coming from a hurt

>ego. (eg. you reply to Michael and now this one [to Sri Jay]) As

>you know, advaita considers ego as one of the stumbling blocks to

>realisation and a hurt ego can be even worse. Not that I have myself

>subdued my ego or can prevent it from getting hurt; but I am trying.

>Hope you too are trying.

>

>As always I look forward to and enjoy reading your messages.

>Please keep them coming.

 

 

 

Thanks, V

 

Your candid observation is very useful to me. There

was no hurt ego, only a bit of annoyance or

impatience, perhaps. But even this is ego! And if it

seems hurt to you then it will to others, and this is

not the impression I wish to make. So I will try to

be totally positive. Sometimes, though, criticizing

what needs to be criticized is easier said than done.

It takes skill and finesse and I need to work on it.

We cannot always be beaming like flowers in the sun.

There is ignorance to combat!

 

pranAms, B.

 

Now I might have added: 'But in combatting the ignorance, we must

not think that we have a monopoly on wisdom!'

 

Om!

Benjamin