ACTION REACTION AND RESPONSES TO POSTS ....................Well in FB groups , we all love certain spiritual luminaries and thus share their words of wisdom. That is Perfectly Okay. It is but obvious that believers, non believers, agnostics, spiritualists, all will interpret the post in their own capabilities and sensibilities. Comments of like or dislike are bound to be there , even totally different perspectives are also fine. If it is very much against one’s sensibility, one can simply chose to ignore it. Because the other person is not going to change by your vehement opposition per se. So why waste time and energy in it? Many Westerners don’t understand the word GURU, it’s not equivalent to master. Nor do they understand the word Shishya, which is not equivalent to disciple. Alas! English is very poor that way, for it cannot have equivalent words of Sanskrit . Swamiji is such a meaningful word for sannyasins . It stands for who has declared freedom to die to old--born anew, who has embarked on Sadhana- a path self discovery, to be one’s own light (=Swamy). Secondly Criticism is FUN for many here. That is okay with people who are your friends in here. Then all contradictory views, harsh criticism, even barbed jokes etc,. too are taken in right spirit; it’s between them. But not all are friends and thus certain comments hurts their sensibilities. Criticism if it is constructive i.e. aimed at helping , towards removal of apparent ignorance, providing more light to the subject, when all learn from it ; then it is symbiotic, its synergic. Constructive criticism is more than welcome. It invariably helps. For instance the insights of a vastly experienced teacher towards flaws of students, invariably helps in improving the reading, writing, presentation and overall comprehension skills of the students. Negative criticism is that which usually is aimed at arguing merely for proving the other wrong; it is simply not okay. Here one is already pre-decided about ‘correctness’ of his/her view and then whole talk is aimed at thrusting it down the other’s throat as ‘right’. Irony is, you take your view as correct and take that freedom as your right, but don’t allow the other that liberty! It is but obvious that this results into a heated debate where whole aim is,” I am right, you are wrong.” There is a term in Hindi to call this - VIVAAD ( heated debate full of arguments ) --I am right you are wrong kind of thing. Here the one with more words, more reading, and more logic can outwit the other. But that does not prove anyone RIGHT; and most importantly what is TRUTH. Logic is very poor, and TRUTH is vast, beyond domain of words. Truth is totally subjective, experiential, and existential. It’s an inner experience of subjectivity. Forget learning, it invariably ends up with bruised egos only. It is so counterproductive to the self esteem of the debaters , that it not only demoralises but leaves them in more negativity like prejudices, inferiority complexes and even hatred too. East has a beautiful word called as SATSANG = means in company of truth, where all contribute towards helping to learn each other. It is termed as SAMWAD (collective learning ) –I learn , you learn, we all learn. Here there is a great openness and tolerance for differing views, even to stark opposing views. It shows maturity to accept the right to differ and contradict. It allows liberty and freedom to other for disagreements. When the topic , ensuing comments, all the different perspectives are adding value to it; then it results into a very healthy discussion, then a collective learning takes place. It results into synergy at its best.
Posted on: Sat, 24 Jan 2015 04:18:33 +0000