Children, there is not a single person who does not have at least one good quality. Even the cruellest man has the capacity to change and become good. Hence, we should develop the ability to see good in everyone. When we develop this attitude, God’s grace will flow to us. It is this grace that is the foundation of success in our life.
If we continuously reject a person by focusing only on his negative qualities, what will his future be? Similarly, if we are able find the good qualities inherent in him and encourage them, we can raise that person to great heights. In spite of realising that Kaikeyi was responsible for his being exiled to the forest, Lord Rama did not hesitate to bow down to her in reverence. Even though he knew that Judas would betray him, Jesus washed Judas’ feet. Prophet Muhammad readily took care of the unbeliever woman who had heaped abuses on him every day, when she fell sick. These are the examples that our mahatmas have set for us.
A Guru sent two of his disciples to a faraway village asking them to assess the nature of its residents. One of the disciples observed the villagers and came back soon with his report. He said, “These villagers are worse than any other people I have seen. They are robbers, murderers and prostitutes. That is why I came back soon.”
By this time, the second disciple had also returned. The Guru asked him for his opinion about the villagers. He replied, “The people of this village are so good. I have never seen such good people anywhere else.”
The Guru was surprised. “Why do you have two completely contradictory opinions about the same village?” The first disciple said, “When I went to one house, I saw a murderer there. A highway robber lived in the second house. The third belonged to a prostitute. I did not feel like going anywhere else, so I returned. How can I give a good opinion about a place where such people live?”
The Guru then asked the second disciple to recount his experiences. The disciple said, “I visited the same houses. I’d heard that the first house belonged to a robber. But when I went in, I saw him serving food to the poor. He went looking for hungry people offering food. When I saw this goodness in him, I felt very happy.
“I was told that the second house belonged to a murderer. But when I went there, I saw him taking care of a poor beggar who had fallen on the street. I could only feel love for him, thinking that even though he was a murderer, his heart was not completely dry.
“Last of all, I went to the prostitute’s house. I saw three or four children there. I was told that they were orphans who had been adopted by the prostitute. I thought that if the worst people of the village were this good, then the rest must certainly be exemplary human beings. These experiences helped me form a very high opinion about the people in the village.”
Only those who lack discrimination will retreat saying that they can only see negativity everywhere. Instead of criticizing the negativity in others, if we try to awaken the positivity in ourselves, we will succeed in throwing light on them as well. That is the easiest way that the individual as well as the society can grow.
The writer is a world renowned spiritual leader.