Spiritual Newsletter No.3.

Incorrect Opinion

A short story of a couple by Gaudy Maupassant, a famous French short story writer highlights incorrect opinion in a succinct manner..

The story line goes like this: There is a public park. Two persons are seated in the park talking. A couple is coming from a distance. One of them watches the couple. They may be husband and wife. The lady is seated in a wheel chair which is being pushed by her man. The lady has lost one of her legs and is always dependent upon others for her movements.

The person seated in the park and watching the crippled lady and her husband expresses his deep sense of sorrow and pity to his friend.

'What a pity? The man is destined to suffer throughout his life with this crippled lady. For such a beautiful man, God has given only such a handicapped lady!'

"Oh, my friend you are thoroughly wrong. They are most happy and ideal husband and wife. I know their story. If you hear their story, then you will not pity them, but, wonder 'O, they cannot be otherwise!'"

The friend tells him the story: The lady and the husband were in deep love with each other. Both of them were in a room in the fifth floor. They were talking in general terms. Somehow the talks had turned into 'How deep did they love each other?'

His beloved wife declared that she would do, whatever her husband wanted her to do without any hesitation to prove her love and affection towards her husband.

The wife was near the window of the room.

The husband, without realizing the moods of his wife, had said: Then, could you jump from this floor to prove your love towards me?

Even before he could finish his sentence, the wife had already jumped through the window. Luckily, she had been saved from death, but, lost her one leg.

Since then, they have become ideal husband and wife.

The friend who listened to their stories, has become speechless. He hails them from the bottom of his heart.

He is equally sad for his incorrect opinion based on mere outward scenes. The veil of the outward scenes can be lifted to reveal the realities only if and Big IF, the intellect in the form of your friend comes to your rescue and paint the true picture in all its splendor which will render your mind encircled with awe and wonder as in this case.

Here in this story, eye or visual is deceptive. Mind records only the visual and keeps the Intellect at a distance. Awakening comes in the form of his friend who knows the couple very well. In the absence of the awakening, then wrong opinion is being embedded in his mind.

Incorrect opinion can be avoided only if the mind is allowed to think freely. Out of the box thinking is one way to know the realities.

Mind is stuffed with the ideas, opinions, prejudices, preconclusive notions and advices which are quite sufficient to confuse one to take a correct opinion. Assessments, Valuations and even Validations are also affected by such a confused mind.

Let us illustrate the situations being confronted by mind as an allegory.

Imagine the five sense organs of Eyes, Ears, Nose, Mouth, Skin representing vision, hearing, smelling, speech/taste and touch as students in a class room. Mind is the teacher. Intellect is the moderator and valuer. Ego is the most turbulent student and the interferer.

The tools for Mind - the class Teacher are supplied by the five sense organs. Records of Scenes/Visuals, Records of Taste and Speeches/Songs, Records of Smells/Perfumes, Records of Music/Discourses and Records of Touches of Earthly/Heavenly are the lessons to teach, analyze, value, eschew and reject under the scanner of Intellect. These records and lessons are being taught by the Mind to keep the senses under proper form to help the person to lead a meaningful life.

Intellect will supplement these records and lessons with its own knowledge about the ultimate truth, ethical values, social obligations apart from charity, austerity, compassion and empathy.The student Ego will always come between his Student Colleagues-Senses and the Teacher - Mind to cloud and color decisions, but, on relying on Intellect, the person's life problems will be sorted and solved.

Take the case of sound. Speech is in the form of sound. But Music is a coded sound strictly under the rules of rhythms and rhymes.Certain Music are pleasant to hear. Such pleasant music moves our mind and heart. Certain other rare music - religious and spiritual in contents, move not only our mind but also our soul.

Thyagap Brahman's songs are soul moving.

'Tell Me Why?' - One can ask.

The Saint Thyagier, in the hot sunny weather in the heat of sun rays but unmindful of these, had sung his famous songs praising Lord Rama, as he was going with a small metal pot being hung around his neck tied with a tiny rope for alms of rice from the householders of Tiruvaiyaru Agraharam in the streets of Tiruvaiyar abetting the banks of Holy River Cauvery. He was unmindful of these uncomfortable conditions which for any normal person would make him cry. But, his songs had given Him all comforts, as if he was amidst the pleasant shower of blissful rain. That is the Power of Rama Nama. It is no wonder that even to-day, his songs thrill the hearers to their souls' contents. Because of religious and spirituals connotations in these songs!

Hence, in listening to Music, one should also keep theses facts in mind and try to fill up the Mind with such soul moving songs as well.

Same Rules apply to eyes, noses, touch and taste/speech. When the rules are followed strictly to control the five senses under check, the anger, the revenge and the lust will be duly guided by the calmness, the forgiveness and the love.

In short, Emotions will never be allowed to take an upper hand so that one will take a correct, balanced and concrete decision.

Then the Mind will be at peace. The Man will be happy. The Life will be pleasant.

Peace, Happiness and Pleasantness are the Hall Mark of Life for every one of us.

Om Shanthi, Om Shanthi, Om Shanthi.

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