Most of us have come across many such situations in life wherein the question of Tolerance comes up and we are required to make a choice of whether to tolerate or retaliate. If, for example, a person who has no control over his tongue or is uncultured, short tempered and talks in an offensive language or behaves rudely with us, then what would we do? Well! a cultured person, under such a situation would choose to tolerate, because he knows very well that when tolerance is lost, temper is also lost and the loss of both means the loss of mental balance. This kind of approach or attitude would enable one to remain calm, composed and dignified. Tolerance, in such provocative situations is a Value that saves one's life.
So, if one loses Tolerance in such hot situations even for a moment, one may even have to lose one's life or face a still more complicated situation, fraught with grave consequences and unpredictable repercussions. Remember! our Tolerance and Humility can melt or mellow the mind of our bitter critics and opponents while it enables us to be in the state of peace. However, most of the people ask this question: how long should we tolerate injustice? If we do so, wouldn't it mean our silent consent to the acts of those who are doing injustice to others and depriving those who deserve justice? The answer is that we must put forth our moral resistance. We must make our disapproval manifest through our non-cooperation in such acts. Better still, we must use our skill of persuasion at proper moments. We must make efforts to enable such a man of blinded intellect to see the real nature of his act and the attendant evils and the following consequences. We must have pity for him rather than lose our own moral sense and react with a feeling of rancour and vengeance. That would be our Tolerance.
But the question that ultimately comes up is whether we have that spiritual power to transform a sinner into a saint? For that we must check up our stock of spirituality and fill ourselves with the power again through Yoga-Mediation as one would recharge one's battery with the help of a dynamo. With our high spiritual power, we can use tolerance as a tool of social transformation and can be God's instruments for uplifting a man, fallen from his seat of morality.
The writer is a spiritual educator and columnist for publications across India,Nepal & the UK. He can be contacted at nikunjji@gmail.com / www.brahmakumaris.com
