Condemnation: The Root of Rejection
(The road to a self-imposed hell)

Condemnation is the process of expressing, either silently or to another, the disapproving judgment of others' behavior, attitudes, or points of view. It has been written: to condemn others for their path chosen in search for wisdom is to condemn yourself. Be that as it may, it has also been countered: how is it possible to condone or to accept such a stupid, such a negative thing! Thus, he who truly seeks wisdom must find it in his heart to understand, to forgive, and to love under all circumstances. It is true: to condemn an individual is to condemn the species to which that individual belong! In any case, the counter point to the second saying is quite simple: it is possible to condemn an individual's behavior without condemning the individual as an individual. This is true even if, as in the case of murder, the individual must be executed for his condemned behavior.

As the seeker grows, he will come to understand that condemnation has many faces; and, it serves many jobs at the same time--often the jobs are in contest with one another; thus, it [condemnation] may be a more complex phenomenon than the seeker first thought.

For one who is not seeking, it is, indeed, a simple matter--these individuals will seek first to satisfy their needs and wants. If the condemnation of another is necessary to achieve these goals, then so be it! The attitude seems to say, "Next time, he'll know better than to get in my way."

The seeker, on the other hand, is trying to rise above the level of consciousness exhibited by most individuals in society. For him, it is a matter of trying to understand the forces which compel each individual to act in the way he does. With this understanding comes forgiveness and love. He who truly achieves understanding, forgiveness and love is incapable of condemning an individual, even if he must condemn the individual's behavior. One need not witness an execution with malice in the heart.

He who is still trying to achieve the state of love may condemn others in subtle ways. Consider the following scenario: Someone tells you a joke that pokes fun at a certain racial group. You tell him that you do not think the joke is funny because of it is prejudice. Although you are within your rights to feel this way, to tell the individual this, if he does not specifically ask you why you didn't laugh, is a form of condemnation. It is a condemnation because it conveys the message that you feel that the individual is acting in a wrongful manner, that his morals are not what you think they should be.

Thus, just because an individual may speak the truth does not guarantee that his words will not hurt others, will not judge others, or will not condemn others. Indeed, truth can sometime wound much more deeply than do lies.

The seeker must be careful never to use whatever truth he has found in a manner which will burst another's illusion. In the scenario above, the individual who told the joke may not even realize that it was prejudiced. For one to bluntly confront another with facts which are being suppressed, or avoided, will most often result in a negative interaction. The individual who had his bubble illusion shattered will probably never feel free to speak to the one who shattered his illusions in an open manner again.

According to the laws of communication, it matters not what a speaker hopes to gain by telling his truth; it matters only what is in a listener's mind. Thus, in the above scenario, if the Storyteller feels that he has been judged by his audience, the listener, regardless if that judgment was intended or not, then, the listener will have to bear the Karma for having judged the Storyteller, even though the judgment was hidden in the listener's statement that the story was not funny.

On the other hand, if the Storyteller is stable enough to accept his audience's truth, in that he does not feel that he is being judged, then, the words of truth which accuses the Storyteller of being prejudice can help the Storyteller to grow. However, again, by the laws of communication, a speaker often has no way of knowing in advance what a listener's reaction will be. It is often a case where the best of intentions may lead a speaker down the road to hell, from a communication's standpoint.

The student must try to strike a balance: he does not want to burst another's illusion, yet he does not want to encourage the individual to behave in a negative manner.

When the seeker has grown sufficiently, he may be able to interact in a manner which will teach, but not offend. For the majority of us, however, silence is often the best course of action.

Remember, each man may judge himself only, as each individual is unique. Each experiences a different path to wisdom. Regardless of the circumstances, never take it upon yourself to teach another unless they specifically ask you to do so.

Your words are what will betray your intentions--you may not consciously take the role of teacher, yet your words may fit the pattern of teacher to student. You then will have to bear the responsibility of forcing teachings upon another individual, regardless of your intentions.

It has been said that what you see in others you see in yourself. This is never more true than when an individual raises his sights in an effort to condemn another. Everyone is a mirror unto himself, though most do not perceive their own reflection.

For most people, it is difficult to see deeper than the surface of their own image when looking in a silver backed mirror--few can see beyond their hidden agenda; still, how much more difficult will it be for them when they are looking at their image in a mirror that has no backing? From the most ugly to the most beautiful of personalities; from complicated gestures, to strong feelings, to biased thinking patterns, and to the actual behaviors which could be a force for prejudice, one has many mirrors from which to hide in fact, every other member of your species is your mirror-- when all is said and done, you, the individual, are mankind!

Yet, there is a paradox here. It comes in the form of traits that one may see in others that they in fact do not have. And, indeed this can be very true. However, for this to have validity, one must rise above the illusions of others. It is written: You cannot see that which is above you; you can see some things which are par with you; and, you can see all things which are beneath you.

Please note--the operative word here is cannot and can. Just because you can do or can see something doesn't mean that you will do, or that you will see something. This is all determined by your steering currents and your overall karmic condition.

Those who are in the process of mastering, or those who have just mastered a particular negative aspect of their human personality, or a negative human illusion, or a negative reality do have the ability to see in others what they do not possess within themselves. Again, this is a qualified statement, in that in order to have mastery, it must have been mastered. Therefore, it would be more appropriate to say that the master does possess what he sees in others, but it is unconditionally controlled by his higher self; to such a degree that for all practical purposes, it is not there.

If you can honestly feel this to be true for yourself, then you have found the beginnings of growth. However, a fair warning is in order. Most people feel that they have mastery over themselves in some form or fashion--but then, most people like to deceive themselves.

It was once written by a great sage that what is recognized in others is only recognized because it is already within myself. It was written that I see in you only that which I fear to be in myself. It was written that I see in myself only that which I wish to see, that truth plays no part in the visions of myself. It is written that to see myself as I truly am, I must look into the eyes of my enemies, but to see myself as I wish to be, I need only look into the eyes of a friend. It was written that to condemn another is to seek the lower road into the future. It was written that to condemn another is to, in the future, share that condemnation, as we are one. I see you because I am you.