2018-12-11

I'M ALWAYS RIGHT AND YOU...TOO


Most of the problems of the world arise because the” I”, the ego, always believes that it is right. Nobody acts against his reason. The enigma is that the "I" acts without seeing the reason of others. The reason of one's self will is blind; it makes us act without empathy. Cain could only see his reasons for killing his brother Abel. He thought himself less appreciated than his brother. But his reasons were against an unjust paternal god, not against his brother, who was innocent. In spite of everything he killed him. Almost all the discords, fights, aggressions and wars are for believing that one is "right" and the others are wrong.

I remember the confession of a Jewish teacher, in charge of the literature department of one of the most important universities in the world, who taught children in her synagogue. For her, the most beautiful story was that of the Exodus. Because, she maintained, it is a song of freedom from slavery. But one day, a little girl asked her what guilt the children of Galilee and Palestine had to be killed and their land occupied. The question left her without sleep for many nights and to answer it took more than a year. She wrote a book. She had seen the story from the ego of a group, but had never started thinking with empathy or curiosity like that girl. Sometimes it is the innocence that makes us see and reconsider that having reason or not is not what matters.

There is a Chassid story about two disciples of a rabbi that, I love to remember. One of them explains his reasons for the best path to God: with all his effort follow the path of the Law, pray and live righteously. The old rabbi told him that his reasons were right. Then a second disciple, and said that his schoolmate was wrong because effort was pure ego. On the contrary, the true path was one of surrender, of awakening to the teaching of "Not my will but thine." The old teacher after thinking told him "You're right". A third student who was nearby came and protested to the old rabbi: "But teacher, you cannot say that both are right". The rabbi smiled at him and said, "You too are right!"

The mind, reasoning with limited thoughts, makes us believe that we are right. But nobody has all the knowledge. The wisdom of the old master, without arguing, gave the reason to all, because in their mind and with their limitations, they had it. Philosophers like Kant, explained that reason is insufficient to capture the reality of the world. Therefore it is useless to discuss who is right. Wisdom consists in knowing how to recognize that it does not matter who owns each little reason, what matters is the immensity of love, benevolence, and goodness.

I'm right, you're right, we're all right. Such is the dogmatism of reason, that there are sick people who do not give in to the reality of their personal, business or sports problems. They do not want to forgive, they do not want to change, and they do not want to understand, even if that makes them suffer. They want to be right and “That is enough!” An alcoholic will never admit that he drinks too much, and should leave. The sugar lovers, despite suffering mutilation, they are right, and justified to eat cake. I'm right, you're right, we're all right. What does it matter?! What matters is to respect ourselves, not to attack us and, if possible, to appreciate each other for no other reason than affection. Well, as Pascal said "The heart has reasons that reason does not know." Love does not need reasons. Instead of wanting to be right, it is imperative, to give in, to change for our well-being and that of others, to have mercy and compassion is what it is worth.

A story about animals says that one night they met and began to complain about humans and everything that humans took away from them. The cow complained that humans take her milk, the hen that humans take the eggs, the pork the humans take meat to make ham, and the whale to keep for his oil. Finally with a tremulous voice spoke a snail. I have something so valuable that, if they knew, he said, they would take it away more than anything else. I have: Time!

Would not it be a nice act of kindness if, instead of wanting to be right, we all took valuable time to meditate and have mercy and compassion, abundant compassion for one another? This would be a small step for each person, but a great step for all humanity!

Happy blessings for all!
©Pietro Grieco 

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