JUDGMENT #1

Ego, Desirous Attachment and Judgment form a triad, 
 it useful to distinguish their differences. 

 “Let us be together
, let us eat together
, let us be vital together
, let us be radiating truth, radiating the light of life, Never shall we denounce anyone. 
Never entertain negativity.” The Upanishads

“The fundamental delusion of humanity is to suppose that I am here and you are out there.” Roshi

We need to recognize that most of the time we live in duality. In the tension between duality and believing we are all one, lies the possibility for more spiritual attainment. Most of us cannot, nor should not entirely rid ourselves of ego but with awareness we can subordinate it to our Higher Selves. Judgment is just a reflection of ego. We project our own shadow onto others in order to feel better about ourselves and strengthen ego at the same time. When we judge others, it is usually due to a projection of our own shadow onto another. We would not be able to identify that thought if it were not already inside of us. When we point a finger at someone we usually have three fingers pointing back at us.

“When you see a worthy person endeavor to emulate him, when you see an unworthy person then examine your inner self.” Confucius

“... If we cannot embrace the other, do not think to embrace God. The more expectantly we look for Him/Her in the other the more readily does S/He show Himself. The more imaginatively we look for Him in all creation the more clearly will we see Him.”

“How can we determine the hour of dawn when night ends and day begins?
When you can look into the face of human beings and you have enough light in you to recognize them as your brothers and sisters. Up until then it is night and darkness is still with us.” Chassidic wisdom

“See yourself in others then whom can you hurt? What harm can you do?” Dammapada

 "In the sweat of your face you will eat bread, until you return to the earth ...  dust are you, and to dust you will return." Genesis 

“We are all one though not the same.” The Ancestors

Humankind, according to the bible was created from dust. Dust to dust, ashes to ashes. All Beings; Still, Growing, Wild or Talking are made from the same elements. We are all made of star dust, of which carbon is a major component. We need to be humble. “There is so much good in the worst of us and so much bad in the best of us that it hardly behooves any of us to talk about the rest of us.” New England Saying

Gandhi and the Buddha taught that our thoughts determine our words, our words, our deeds and behavior, our deeds and behavior our habits, our habits our character and values and, the latter our destiny. Judgment begins with the thoughts of Monkey or Narrow Mind.

“The soul becomes dyed with the color of its thoughts.” Marcus Aurelius 

“The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts.” Marcus Antonius
 
“What we speak becomes the house we live in.” Hafiz

Judgment can have serious karmic repercussions. If judgment comes from or leads to envy and we “covet our neighbor or anything that belongs to our neighbor” this can be hazardous to our soul. A heart of envy can harm from having; 

an evil eye, an evil tongue and even worse an evil inclination. 

Envy is at the heart of dark witchcraft and sorcery. It can induce someone to deprive another of what s/he possesses, or have what the other has. We see the evil tongue every day when politicians character assassinate their rivals even if there is no truth to the diatribe. Even if there is a measure of truth it can still cause karmic consequences.  

“Take care not to give scandal nor to do harm.” The Ancestors

In doing so the Talmud teaches that one harms three people; the one saying it (their karma,) the one it is said about, and the one it is said to.

We can judge others, judge another and also judge ourselves, all of which can be harmful to them, ourselves and our karma. Judgment of self leading to remorse and regret are commendable so that we can make self-correction. However,  guilt and shame harm the soul and can put Spacious Mind and our frontal lobe thoughts in lockdown mode. 

"Self-Condemnation strengthens guilt which is one of the greatest impediments on the path of enlightenment." Yoga saying

When we judge others we also tend to treat them differently. 

“The way you see people is the way you treat them, and the way you treat them is what they become.” Goethe

 “Ubuntu speaks to the essence of being human. The solitary individual is in our understanding a contradiction in terms. You are a person through other persons. Ubuntu speaks about the importance of communal harmony; warmth, compassion, generosity, hospitality and seeks to embrace others.” Bishop Tutu

“No human soul is like any other human soul, and therefore the love of God for any human soul is infinite, for no other soul can satisfy the same need in God.” Yeats

The Creator loves all of Creation and animates all of it with His breath. God does not play favorites. Karma judges, God loves.

"God's love is not a test. God is not a test of love" The Ancestors

The Creator does not micromanage. Karma is built as a default into the soul. "The Prodigal" son or daughter is always welcome to return to his/her Maker. Karma will take care of itself. We are all given a destiny cup to fill. Some are given larger cups to fill than others. To those much more is expected. As long as we fill our own unique cup of potential we will have fulfilled our mission along the way of our many and various incarnations.

“Despise no person and consider nothing impossible, for there is no one who does not have his/her hour and there is nothing that does not have its place.”  Talmud

“Actions arise from conditions. Do not judge then the former until the latter is well understood. If you have eaten what the judged one has eaten, and worn his/her clothes, and thought his thoughts, and felt both his joy and pain then you may say you have stood in his place but only briefly compared to the length of his stay. So still you may not know the past or present plights that plague him/her.
Our judgments are frequently fraught with error and usually tainted with arrogance. Compassion and love are our salvation and joy.” Hillel

We all walk to the sound of a different drum. If we do not like the sound of the other's drum and it offends us, we should just walk away with a mind empty of judgment.

”Reality usually follows its description. Hence it is ever changing and is perceived differently by different people.” The Ancestors 

"Do not judge a person until you have walked a mile in his/her moccasins.” Native American saying

"Whoever undertakes to set himself up as a judge of Truth and Knowledge is shipwrecked by the laughter of the gods.” Goethe

“When you talk to people do not weigh. A soul that weighs suffers harm.” Talmud

“At the end of the day when you no longer need to be right
the perfection of your soul will shine through.” The Ancestors

“Judge not that you not be judged.
For with what judgment you judge you shall be judged
and with what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you again.” Matthew

Even when offended by someone else and we have the need to reciprocate in kind, rather, “Turn the other cheek" or respond positively or walk away. If you respond negatively you inherit their energy and imprint your karma negatively as well as your subconscious. It's not about them it's about you. Give compassion. Imagine them changing for the better. Karma will reconcile all differences.

Click on the link, play and ponder 

02_Sacredness.mp3