How we respond to a problem depends largely or in most
cases, solely, on how we perceive the problem. If a mentally disturbed person
were to call us names, we would not bother and would probably pray for that
person’s welfare.
On the other hand, if an otherwise healthy person were to
verbally abuse us, we would not tolerate it and would come out with a fitting
retort even before that person is finished. That would be our response because we
perceive a threat in the verbal abuse.
Deeper thought would make us see our faulty perception in
this instance. How does someone calling us something bad change our nature? It
does not.
Apart from being disturbed by what you have heard, you do
not change. And even that little disturbance would not occur if you choose not be
affected by those meaningless words. Same is the case with anyone telling
something bad about your body.
Say, someone calls you a cripple. How would it change your body,
if you are healthy? It would not. That shows us that we are disturbed because
of our identification with external circumstances that really do not mean much.
If we could train our mind to stay rooted in the reality of
our personality and not be swayed by what we experience, then we could achieve
much more in life.
Source - Prabuddha Bharata April 2016 issue
Source - Prabuddha Bharata April 2016 issue