Tolerance

Wisdom Teachings
Fundamentals of Spiritual Life

In the Mahabharata, the question was asked, “Who is the most tolerant in the universe?” The answer is: Mother Earth, because the Earth is the place where the most ignorant beings live. Mother Earth holds and endures them all. This is no easy task. The other planets are different from Earth, as the beings on them are more knowledgeable. Only the Earth, with its tolerance, patiently endures the masses of ignorant beings living on it.

When we were given earthly bodies to learn certain things on Earth, the basic idea was, “Go and learn tolerance”. We learn to overcome our ignorance and to tolerate the ignorance of others. Without the foundation of tolerance, patience and forbearance, we cannot rise above our personalities, the vehicle we use to interact with the kingdoms on Earth. The development of intelligence, wisdom and love help us to recognise our unity with all life and to become perfected.

Tolerance is the most profound of all virtues. Tolerance is a quality of the heart. It allows the heart to unfold and be adaptable. Tolerance enables forbearance, forgiveness and containment. The tolerant ones are admired and respected in the subtle world. For them, cooperation in the subtle world is available, so they evolve faster.

The inability to accept people with different views, ideologies and habits arises from intolerance. Sudden events do not disturb the tolerant, while the intolerant allow themselves to be disturbed and contribute to such disturbances, causing confusion in their environment. Intolerant people are the most ignorant. They even tend to be malicious.

The scriptures say that there are seven planes within the earth. Above the earth, there are seven planes of greater joy and greater light. Below the earth, there are also seven planes, which we call the infernal world (purgatory), into which we can be cast for retribution. The Earth is merciful; it has enormous forbearance, patience and tolerance. It tries to bear with us as much as possible, and when it can no longer bear with us, it casts us into the infernal planes. Let us not open any doors to these regions.

High beings such as Krishna, Buddha and Christ, as well as all Masters of Wisdom, constantly demonstrate thoughts of inclusion and not exclusion. They have excluded no one. But many people exclude others and thus turn away from such High Souls. Rigid and narrow-minded attitudes, as well as a lack of patience and tolerance, lead to exclusion and separation. We can see whether we are narrow-minded or magnanimous by the thought patterns we nurture. By cultivating thoughts of tolerance, compassion, philanthropy and inclusion, we gain energy and happiness.

One of the first steps on the spiritual path is to develop tolerance and acceptance. Without these qualities, not much can be achieved. Tolerance is the ability to endure things and situations with forbearance. Each of us has our own ideas about how to behave properly. We cannot tolerate when others do not behave according to our ideas of proper behaviour. Can we feel sympathy for others with whom we completely disagree? Sometimes, even a slight disagreement is enough to sever the thread of cordiality. But the world thrives on diversity.

When people make noise, there is a point up to which we can tolerate it, and then it becomes a disturbance for us. What is a disturbance for us may not be a disturbance for others. It is the extent of our tolerance that allows us to accept other people. People behave in different ways and not necessarily in accordance with what we consider to be right. When their behaviour does not match our expectations, we tend to focus on their faults. Our love only flows as long as others conform to our idea of right behaviour; otherwise, we reject them.

Rejection, condemnation and hatred cause great tension within us, which also affects our health. When someone consistently disturbs us, nature intends for us to become tolerant and patient. We should try to deal with our surroundings with forbearance, without becoming restless in our mind. We achieve nothing by judging actions, but we can achieve something through love and tolerance. With equanimity, we neutralise the vibrations of our impulses and do not become the cause of impulsive actions.

An initiate is an embodiment of love. He has patience and tolerance, and he waits in loving understanding. He does not judge, he does not criticise, and he does not manipulate. Love demands sacrifice and it demands tolerance of the ignorant. Jesus Christ even prayed to the Father in Heaven to forgive those who crucified him. Every Master does this. This is love that knows no bounds.

The initiates remain calm in the face of injustices done to them. We, too, are expected to be tolerant of injustices and adverse circumstances, in the conscious understanding that our own past comes back to us and that we should deal with it calmly so that there are no consequences.

All adverse situations teach us to be patient, tolerant and forgiving. Strictly speaking, there are no adverse circumstances per se. It is the Divine that comes to us to free us from a situation or a limitation. The Divine approaches us from our environment and especially from our family circle.

Astrologically speaking, it is Saturn that teaches us the ability to be tolerant, to endure and to work just like him, i.e. slowly, deeply and persistently. As slow as Saturn is, so sure is it. Saturn causes us to remove the roots of likes and dislikes within ourselves. It gives us the strength and patience to accept things and not react to the misbehaviour of others. If we eliminate impatience and intolerance from our nature and learn to endure unsympathetic behaviour and situations, where are the adverse things?

Love, compassion, understanding and tolerance lead us to neutral ground. We attain a neutral attitude when we see the One in everyone we encounter. This is the attitude of Yoga – to see the I AM or the Master in everything. Through this attitude, we include everything and exclude nothing. If we do not do this, we naturally tend to react to the behaviour of others, and these reactions create karma.

Master CVV promised to neutralise all our karma. The principle behind the neutralisation of karma is that through neutrality and impersonal action, no new karma is created. Performing actions dispassionately with goodwill does not create new situations; we do not become attached to these actions. The success or failure of the actions has no influence on us. We learn to react tolerantly to events that come our way, and thus each day brings us progress.

People may consider an initiate to be incompetent because of his tolerant attitude. He lets them believe this. The weapons of tolerance are more powerful than the weapons of war. Only two things are not tolerated from the point of view of the Laws of Nature: one is malice, the other is blasphemy. Everything else is tolerated. Those who are malicious in their motives are punished; all others are spared.

Tolerant people are a virtue, but tolerant governments are not. When warring or terrorist aggression occurs, rulers should respond and take action. They should not tolerate aggression but take measures. People cannot go to war on their own. Normally, the people react quickly, but the rulers do not. They do not do what they are to do. People feel this and begin to do things that are not their job. Rulers should be active, not passive. We should pray for goodwill to prevail over governments and that governments act appropriately. Individuals, groups, nations, all over the globe, people of goodwill need to pray, wait and tune to the Divine Plan. The United Nations Organisation is intended to be the key to human peace. There are still great many hurdles created for its appropriate manifestation. The power energy which exists in parts of humanity is frequently distorting and falsifying the noble objectives of the UN. Persistent working with patience, tolerance and faith is the only way to enable this noble organisation to preside over all international and global affairs. The warring mentality in humanity is healed from time to time from higher circles. At the same time, the human free will is never interfered with. Humanity cannot be helped if there is no adequate orientation towards the good. Those who orient are but few. Those who do not are many. When Uranus works with Saturn, much of humanity's karma is cleared with rapidity.

Sources used: K.P. Kumar: Teachings of Master Koot Hoomi, Vol. 2; Dhanishta, Visakhapatnam, India (www.aquariusbookhouse.com)