Mystic Mantra: Take criticism in your stride

There is a story of a Brahmin and Romal Rishi (a seer). The Brahmin was a pious person. One day due to some action of the Brahmin, the Rishi got angry and cursed the Brahmin that he will be born as a crow in his next birth (crow is considered the lowest of all species).

The Brahmin was not perturbed and did not react negatively to this curse. He continued to be respectful to the seer. Realising his mistake, Romal Rishi blessed the Brahmin saying that, even as a crow he will serve Lord Rama in the next birth and would become one of his favourite devotee and attain salvation. This Brahmin who was reborn as a crow, was respectfully known as “Kakbhushundi” during Lord Rama’s era.

So whenever you feel that you are being wronged, criticised or being blamed for no reason, don’t react negatively. Take criticism in your stride. Continue to perform good and pious deeds, even in most adverse conditions. Know that one day all those people who gave you pain and suffering will realise their mistakes and would rectify the same on their own.

An effort to make others realise their mistake generally does not work well and rather complicates the situation. Feeling extremely happy in favourable situations and extremely sad or reacting negatively in unfavourable situations becomes the cause for new karma and binds us further into the clutches of karma.

Favourable and unfavourable situations are the result of karmas from our previous birth and, hence, should be borne with equanimity. When they are borne with equanimity, then those karmas get extinguished from our lives. When we react negatively, or with excessive attachment and fondness, then new karmas spring up. These new karmas again become the cause for our rebirth.

Feeling of equanimity in situations of profit and loss, favourable and unfavourable, victory and defeat, birth and death leads to salvation. Eventually, God will bless you for staying neutral and for the feeling of equanimity because it is the virtue of God. It is His nature and by adopting that virtue we attract His grace.

Sadguru Rameshji is a modern age spiritual guru and founder of Poorna Ananda, a centre for spiritual evolution and joyful living. Visit www.poornaananda.org