Making sense of one senses

 

Your body is like a washing machine, your mind is like your clothing, each lifetime is like one washing cycle, pure water is like love, and knowledge is the detergent. 


The mind enters the body to get cleansed and purified. But if instead of detergent you use dirt, then you have dirty clothes, dirtier than before. You will have to continue putting clothes in the washing machine to get them cleaned. And the process repeats again and again. 


Similarly, you will have many more births until you stop repeating the mistakes that you have made.


Fights can only happen among equals. When you fight with someone, you make that person your equal. But in reality there is no one at par with you. When you keep people either above you or below you, there is no fight. When people are above you, you respect them. When they are below you, you love them and feel compassionate.


Either submission or compassion can quickly stop a fight. This is something to consider when you are tired of fighting. But when you are well rested, just fight and have fun. 


The same is true of the mind. When the mind is caught up in the senses or thinks it is equal to the senses, there is constant conflict. But when the mind is smaller than the senses, as in animals, there is no conflict. 


And when the mind realizes that it is bigger than the senses, again there is no conflict. When the mind transcends the senses, it comes back to its true nature, which is innocence – “in no sense.” Does this make sense?

Who is making a mistake?

 

Do not tell a person about a mistake they know that they made. What is the use of pointing out a mistake that one knows one has committed? By doing this, you will only make that person feel more guilty, defensive, or resentful and this only creates more distance. 


And do not point out a person’s mistake if they are aware of it but does not want you to know about it. Often people know their mistakes, but they do not want you to point them out. You should only point out a person’s mistake if they are not aware of it and wants to know about it. 


Think about the usefulness of your comments. Before pointing out a person’s mistake, see whether your comments will help to improve the situation, foster love, or bring harmony. A magnanimous person does not point out the mistakes of others and make them feel guilty. Instead, they correct others’ mistakes with compassion and care, not through words but through their attitude.


Often, in establishing your righteousness, you are insensitive to the feelings of others. When someone is hurt, arguing with them and establishing your righteousness will be in vain. By simply saying “I’m sorry,” you can uplift the other person and take away the bitterness. In many situations saying “I’m sorry” is better than establishing your righteousness – it can avert much unpleasantness.


Sorry – this one word of five letters, when said sincerely, can remove anger, guilt, hatred and distance. Many people feel pride in hearing “I’m sorry” from others – it boosts their ego. 


But when you say “I’m sorry” to a wise man, it evokes compassion at your ignorance. And when you say “I’m sorry” to your Guru, he will get angry and say, “Go! Listen to Ashtavakra!” Your apology indicates doer-ship – you feel that you have made a mistake. 


A mistake is part of an unconscious mind. An unconscious mind cannot do right while a conscious mind can do no wrong. The mind that makes the mistake and the mind that realizes the mistake – the mind that says “I’m sorry” – are entirely different, aren’t they? The mind that apologizes cannot be an unconscious mind. Therefore, sincerely saying “I’m sorry” is a big mistake. Did you get it or are you confused? If you did not get it, do not feel sorry or...you can feel sorry! How strange – truth is paradoxical!