To say that one is tolerant before other religions or philosophies is not praising; it is censorship.
Man can be tolerant:
1) or by absolute indifference to the existence of a superior world;
2) or by contemptuously disdaining the ideas of others.
But when man comprehends the Universal Truth, he ceases to be simply tolerant; knows that the Truth is one, but that many are the paths that lead to this final goal - just as many are the tributaries of limpid or turbid waters that are thrown to rivers which sink in the immensity of the ocean; comprehends that every man has to follow the path adapted to his personality and peculiar character. He knows that some of his travelling companions are in latitude 10, others in 20, others in 50 of the roads.
And myself, at what point am I? In latitude 20, 70, 90? Wherever I am, there are many pilgrims behind and many in front of me. For this reason, I not only “tolerate” my companions towards the Infinite, but I also comprehend and approve them; I know that they are with me facing the same direction. Even if some are still zigzagging, uncertain, right or left, what does it matter? Error is also allied with truth; they will enter the straight line and begin their ascension one day. What I can do for them is to go straight and be so good and happy so that they also have the desire to follow the same path.
To be tolerant with other religions and ideologies seems a great compliment to many people - when, in fact, it is a very reprehensible stance, although better than intolerance. What many understand by “being tolerant” is this: I am with the truth, you are in error, but since I am a good and peaceful person, I generously tolerate your mistakes, and with that, I am tolerant.
This kind of tolerance is, in fact, pride and hypocrisy; it is an evident manifestation of the ego demanding attention for itself.
But when one comprehends that each individual has its own peculiar path to the truth and that each has the right and duty to follow the path that best suits its individual nature, then one does not despise or “tolerate” the companions on the journey who tread other paths; for its broad vision says that the companions of the same ideal are friends and collaborators - just as the various colours of a prism are manifestations of the only colourless light and that none of the colours has the right to despise others as being wrong; red, green, blue, etc. are all complementary effects of the single cause of colourless light, and it does not see this phenomenon as “tolerance” of one colour to another.
Complementarity is not hostility. Universe harmony demands variety in unity.
Where there is a true comprehension of the truth, both intolerance and tolerance cease to exist.
Should the rose tolerate the carnation? Should the ruby tolerate the emerald? Does the condor have to tolerate the canary?...
The wisest attitude towards the differences between human beings is accepting people as they are, for acceptance is heaven, and rejection is hell.
_________________
In this context, the words understand and comprehend have different particularities:
To understand, one has only an idea of the universe of facts, realities, circumstances, etc., while comprehending is to travel through the intimate experience of reality and life. It is like penetrating luminous wisdom of what we are going through. A man only comprehends in reality what he himself suffered in agony and happiness.
To illustrate this difference in a more didactic way, it is like telling a child not to lay a hand on the fire because it will burn. The child may eventually understand this fact but will only comprehend it when placing its hand on the fire and feeling the burn...
No comments:
Post a Comment