28. 58. Which is Just? Which is unjust?
# 58. Which is Just? Which is unjust?
Looking at the light rays coming through that worn-out umbrella, which was full of holes, appearing similar to the stars of a night sky, the young boy Tom asked his grand-father: I am holding this umbrella. I can see that. The roof of our house is being held up by the walls. I can see that as well. When dusk falls who is it that is holding such a big umbrella that all places become dark?
When the old man managed to escape from this by saying, 'It is God', he got caught by the boy's next question.
'Grandpa, is God such a bad miser?'
Being unable to understand the boy's question, Tom's grand-father was surprised and asked him: Why do you ask that?
The boy replied: He is also having a worn-out umbrella like you have.
- Truth is different. But what Tom understood was different. For him his speech was just. By thinking about a non-existing God as existing and judging Him as a miser is childish.
The childishness of complaining about non-existent faults in others as existing and placing arguments to justify it is very much present in all persons.
You will escape if you accept this and correct the same.
- Attachment will make one blind. It will show good people as bad – Why! It will show even those who harm you, as good persons.
- If you possess an un-just mental set-up regarding justice and injustice... All the happiness and joy which have to be experienced by you fairly in the worldly life, you will miss them unfairly. Think about it.
- If you live by having one rule for yourself and another for others...
You will have to be prepared to accept a pitiable condition.
You will have to discard and lose that which is really a treasure.
He is our man.... Just ignore and don't worry...
He has spoken so in some haste....
My son is a he-man; he will be like that only...
- I have brought her up with indulgence...Please look after her well, sonin-law...
- Even though he talks like that, he will not keep any thing in his heart...
We talk like this and justify some acts whenever anyone close to us commits a mistake; and in case the same mistake is committed by others we would say…
Oh what arrogance!
His talks too much!
A person who does not know any etiquette!
How badly they have brought up this child!
He doesn't possess any conscience at all!
We would gush out with feelings like these and exaggerate even small mistakes and make it big saying, 'Unjust! Fraud!' Such behavior has become common in the society.
Whether a thing is just or unjust is a matter to be analyzed on a humanitarian basis.
But in practical life, the ideas that prevail regarding what is just or unjust are rather strange. This has attachment as its basis...
That is...
- Just Whatever happens that is advantageous and beneficial to us is just.
- Unjust Whatever that happens which are not advantageous or beneficial to us is unjust.
'If the daughter-in-law breaks it, it is a golden vessel; if the mother-in-law breaks it, it is a mud vessel.' - This saying has entered into the society only after the idea about what is just and what is unjust has changed up side down.
Those who live in this manner with one set of rules for themselves and another set for others can never enjoy and live life experientially.
One can escape under such situations saying, 'Affection has blinded the eyes'.
In fact, it is not affection that blinds a person but it is only attachment which blinds a person.
It not only blinds the eye but also blinds the joy along with it.
Here is a conversation which Dhyan Thushir delightfully uses in his discourses to explain about how attachment creates harm for us.
One day when Dhyan Thushir asked the lady who came to see him often: How is your daughter? Is she all right?
She said with lot of happiness: She is a blessed girl, Swamiji. She is lucky. The husband she got is a very nice person. He looks after her like a queen.
He has bought a car separately for my daughter. Lot of jewelry…. A diamond watch…. A lot of servants to take care of the household….
He will wake her up from bed, give her coffee, make her take a bath, and at times he himself will feed her breakfast and then only he will go for work. He is a very affectionate person!
Some times my daughter would sleep even till afternoon. He buys her whatever she wants and looks after her like a queen. He is a very just and fair man. She should be blessed to get such a husband.
Dhyan Thushir asked: That is okay. How is your son?
She started: What can I say. It is so horrible. I don't know what sin my son had committed in his last birth Swamiji. He has married and brought a very lazy girl.
She thinks that she a great queen in her heart! It seems she gets up only late in the morning. Poor fellow, my son, it seems, would make her get up in the morning, give her coffee, make her take a bath and then feed her breakfast and then only he goes to work!
Some times that lazy girl would even sleep till afternoon. Even better is that there are four servants for her and a car for herself too! My son is like a servant there, Swamiji.
What harm will come to her if she strains herself a little and does some work? Moreover she gets new jewels and a diamond watch too!
My son is an unlucky fellow. The girl who came to him as his wife is a very unjust person.
This way that lady went on lamenting, it seems.
Even though many of us are not as bad as this lady is, the nature of 'having one set of rules for ourselves and another for others' is clinging on to every one of us.
It is only because of such a nature that what is very dear and attractive to us at one time, the same things becomes an object of dislike and discard another time. The reason for this strange state of affairs is attachment only.
The world and the people will appear as split and separate to the same extent as the desire is present. Distress of not being able to live life in all its dimensions will occur.
Examine your ideas about what is just and what is unjust. Throw away your unfair opinions about 'what is just and what is unjust'. Whatever has been hiding your vision will simply disappear.
A meaningful incident.
A person, who could not accept as just and fair, the solutions given by Ramana Maharishi, an enlightened Master, for those coming to him with problems, asked him,
'As a solution to the problems of many people, you ask them to go around the Thiruvannamalai hill. Is it a solution? What is the use of it?'
Ramana said:
If you rest, mind will run. If you run, mind will rest.
When you go around the hill with awareness, the mind, which is the root cause of all the sufferings, will rest. Mind becoming all right, all the things will become all right. What mister...have you understood?
- Even just will appear as unjust for man. It will be great blessing if this is understood!
Meditation chisels. Chisel No. 13.