Daily Meditation: Thursday, July 29, 2010

Tolerating others - a learning process

07/29/2010

Which one of you doesn't have people around you, or even in your family, whom you find difficult to tolerate? But instead of complaining and remonstrating, you must think of these unbearable people as so many good opportunities for you to make an effort and learn how to love. Yes, it is a learning process. One day, when you leave the earth and stand before the heavenly beings, they will ask you to give an account of yourself. They will say, 'Why did you not have any love for your fellow creatures?' 'Because they were disagreeable, unpleasant...' 'No, that's no reason. Heaven gave you great riches: you received arms, legs, ears, a mouth, eyes and, above all, a brain, but, instead of using it to make yourself useful to others, you merely criticized them and put them down.' 'But they were so contemptible!' 'Well, precisely, that was an added reason for acting towards them with greater generosity.' Nothing you say will justify your behaviour.