Whenever we face opposing opinions, we lash back at the individual who is opposing us. We don’t expect anyone to nudge our singular advice. So our reactions are sometimes violent or outrageous.
Self-opinionated people think that whatever they say is the final word. But the world doesn’t work like that. There are going to be various sets of ideas and opinions going out and we need to accept them. But sometimes we act like as if we know everything and bulldoze everyone to accept ours.
These things are disruptive and destructive too. Accepting someone else to provide an alternative solution would calm the troubled waters, if we were to first hear them out. Sometimes teams are better solution finders. There are ideation forums which sometimes help us in finding solutions. To succeed in this world we should first listen to everyone, find the perfect fit and then open our mouths to offer solutions.
I have met people who believe that they know everything. Some visit Tokyo or London once and think they know everything about that place. Even after I lived in Mumbai for over 35 years, I still don’t know that city. But egotistical people think they know all. Likewise, those who have 20 years of experience in business know better than those who are entering business now. The level of knowledge differs as per age, time, experiences, etc.. But that still doesn’t give one a chance to know all.
In spiritual, we know that our Guru is the epitome of all spiritual knowledge. Someone who has reached emancipation has only knowledge filled inside of him. Yet, greenhorns in the spiritual world think they know all.
You are empty even if you are 99% full. The cup of knowledge has to keep on overflowing then only can you know all. That will only happen once you reach your self-realisation and not anytime before.
The Gurus word is final and cannot be upturned or corrected. Even if the Guru says certain things wrong from worldly sense. Let me illustrate here how it happens.
Once Chaitanya met with a spiritual teacher and listened to how he did expositions on it. He kept on listening but not showing any signs of understanding it. The teacher was frustrated and asked Chaitanya how come this simple knowledge didn’t enter his head. Chaitanya told the teacher that whatever he has taught was wrong. The teacher felt insulted and then rudely told Chaitanya that if he knew so much about these scriptures then he can teach the teacher instead. Chaitanya exchanges places and starts to expound on spiritual truths. The teacher was astonished and ashamed at the perfect explanation offered by Chaitanya.
The teacher asked him how can Chaitanya know that is the truth even though he was teaching from the expositions of Shankaracharya? Chaitanya tells the teacher that Shankaracharya deliberately gave the wrong answer because he wanted to put off the Buddhists who were proliferating all over Bharatavarsha during his time. Also, Chaitanya himself had written those spiritual texts as He was that Divine incarnation.
Sometimes the Masters deliberately do certain things for the good of their disciples and the disciples should believe and have explicit trust in their Gurus. This is called absolute Faith in one’s Master. Spiritual truths are different than material worldly truths. So it is better not to argue with one’s Guru. The Guru’s word is the Gospel truth for that disciple and should accept it with grace.
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