spiritual4u

The Library Of Spiritual Science

Tolerance - is the power of endurance. It is the willingness to listen and treat gently with the difference of others. It is to be broadminded and to show respect to other people’s opinions, actions and freedom of worship. It is the capacity to endure pain or hardship. Tolerance makes enemies into friends and enables one to bless those who are defamatory.

Mankind is generally opposed to change and is fearful of uncertainty. But all around there is evidence of continuous change. Old giving way to new and new growing into old. Change is inevitable. How can tolerance help? If the situations are under your control, then you have to flow with the situations and manage the change. If you don't, change will still occur and you will become obsolete and then be angry and full of hate. If the situations are not under your control then the best option is to offer best wishes to its success. In both situations you have to manage change with tolerance. If the change does not satisfy your expectations, then endurance and patience will bring comfort and preserve your self respect until you can find another opportunity. Respect for change, mercy and compassion are values that support tolerance.

You may not always agree with a decision taken but you ought to exercise collective responsibility and tolerance. This encourages unity and strength. Governments, churches and the armed forces are replete with such examples. If one soldier defies authority, then that army is as strong as the weakest link. Exercising tolerance should always be for the greater good, but you have to remember that the fruits of tolerance are sometimes long in coming. Obedience embraces tolerance to respect and comply with authority.

Tolerance is nurtured by love. In this context, it means to bestow the sweet fruit of love and good wishes even when confronted with difficulties, negativity and ill feeling. To develop the virtue of tolerance, one must practice love and self restraint constantly. You have to be merciful on the self as well as on others. You have to be familiar with the law of cause and effect and the inevitability of change. You must be a detached lover and observer and must develop and experience self respect and the virtues of humility. No matter how angry other people make you, no matter how much they defame and insult you, be tolerant, loving and speak sweetly but little. Does this not remind you of the parable to turn the next cheek when slapped on the other?

A quality necessary to exercise tolerance is endurance. It demonstrates patience with unlimited elasticity and total control of the senses. Tolerance cannot be quantified for there is no room for failure. Failure should be considered as experience to delayed success. Tolerance means to endure all difficulties with love and humility. Each person has his own personality and qualities. If you always remember this, then the power of tolerance becomes easy to inculcate and demonstrate. The Supreme is tolerance personified. He has tolerated so much defamation and blasphemy yet He is merciful, loving and offers salvation to all his children.

An intolerant person is an angry person. This anger feeds the ego and reinforces arrogance. Anger is the wall of sorrow one must remove to enter the sphere of happiness. In every field, one must replace anger with tolerance, otherwise by losing patience, one is devoid of a sense of justice, equanimity and reason. One then loses mental equilibrium and then the health deteriorates resulting in new problems. If you constantly smile when an angry person defames you and there is no sign of wilting on your face, or in your thoughts, then this is called the power of tolerance.

An essential characteristic of both nobility and royalty is tolerance. It is the excellence of mind and character. You have to be immovable and unshakable when difficulties present themselves. As a matter of fact, you have to capitalize on obstacles and convert them into opportunities. Stability of the mind can change all negatives into positives as the rose tree transforms the nutrients of manure into sweet smelling fragrance.

The tolerant person is always cheerful in any situation. Such a person is free from upsets, sadness, depression, worry, pain, confusion, pique, loneliness and boredom. Tolerance enables the self to grow and blossom even in unfavourable conditions and to overcome all obstacles. Tolerance builds bridges across the chasms of human misunderstanding. With this virtue pain can be transcended and old wounds allowed to heal. Smile and the world smiles with you; cry and you cry alone. Tolerance is the sign of a cheerful mind.

It is important to minimize or eradicate idle or wasteful thoughts and your tolerance level will increase a million-fold. Waste thoughts breeds negativity, hate, enmity and anger that leads to depression and related illnesses. If you are envious of a situation or jealous of someone, only you know the extent of the hurt created. No one can help you but yourself. Do not have any created desires or expectations that is outside of your control. This is called management of your thoughts which is the initial step in checking your words, thoughts actions and relationships.

How does one develop the true virtue of tolerance? Have constant practice of soul consciousness. Develop a merciful vision by experiencing the Supreme love deeply, and having mercy on the self. Understand the philosophy of Karma ( Law of reciprocity, the law of action and reaction, and the knowledge of the Creator and the Creation (law of destiny)). Be loving and detached. Develop and experience the value of self-respect. Imbibe the virtue of humility. Maintain stability in times of crisis. Then empower the self with the virtue of tolerance. Tolerance is more divine than intellectual.