If there is one thing that is sorely lacking in today’s world it is a semblance of love and tolerance towards fellow human beings and sometimes even family members. Whether it is an interaction on social media or a debate on television or even a regular conversation, people are quick to spew venom. While intolerance towards injustice, unfairness, and mediocrity is perfectly legitimate, intolerance towards someone who holds a different view point or belief does more harm than good.
Intolerance more often than not stems from a deep rooted sense of ego, a firm belief that one knows best and one can never go wrong. Such an attitude will only breed arrogance and vanity and lead to one’s downfall. Tolerance is not in the least a sign of weakness but of grace, goodness, and strength. If one treats even one’s arch enemies with a complete lack of malice sooner or later the tide will turn.
There is this story by Rumi of a shepherd called Nabi Moosa who was grazing a herd of goats. One recalcitrant goat in this herd chose to go off on his own trip. Nabi Moosa went after him and had to traverse a long, long distance so much so that he completely lost sight of the rest of the herd. He was exhausted, his feet were blistered and he was clearly at his wit’s end. It so happened that the goat too had run out of steam and came to a stop. Where upon Nabi Moosa did not admonish or hit out at the goat but stroked him lovingly and with eyes full of tears asked: “I had really begun to think that you had no mercy on me but pray why did you have no mercy on yourself?” This single statement was enough to qualify Nabi Moosa for Prophethood. Interestingly the job of a herdsman calls for tremendous tolerance as goats are given to wandering away.
As for intolerance in the name of religion it is wise to remember that just like there are many routes to one destination — one may be the straight and narrow path, another may be a circuitous but picturesque and scenic route and a third may be fraught with challenges and hurdles — all leading to the same endpoint — there are different ways of reaching our journey’s end and each of the routes offers a varied experience that probably is best suited for each one of us.
Nations wanting to thrust their ideologies on each other by aggrandisement and force must also realise that love and persuasion may be better weapons. If peace is to prevail in this world there is no room for intolerance or hatred
As for those who go about life under the delusion that money and power are the things that matter with little compassion for the lesser privileged Alexander Solzhenitsyn pointed out, “Intolerance is the first sign of an inadequate education. An ill-educated person behaves with arrogant impatience, whereas truly profound education breeds humility.”
It is never too late to cultivate tolerance. Consciously choosing to focus on and think love and compassion, emptying ourselves of dislike and hate, doing things in a spirit of love, bearing no ill will in our interactions or even just bringing to the fore the intention to do so will make for a beginning. That is the only way to attain true divinity which is in each one of us and the way to discover our highest selves.
The writer is a Reiki channel, yoga practitioner and a spiritual seeker
