Finding God in the next person you meet — Om å finne Gud i det neste mennesket du møter

Mohandas Gandhi said: "If you don't find God in the next person you meet, it is a waste of time to look any further."

I could analyze this to death, so I'll limit myself to this: We all have a divine spark in us and if we cannot recognize and acknowledge that in each other, we cannot recognize or acknowledge it in anything else. By focusing on seeing God in another person, we are also seeing past personality, habits, physical appearance, and behavior. We are seeing what makes the other person both unique and valuable.

I have found the above difficult to grasp and to practice. I do not automatically see the spirit in my fellow man. I would sooner stop at the surface, charmed or annoyed, and that would be that. On the days when I have focused on the above, affirming to myself that I will see God in the next person I meet (or that I will learn to see God in the next person I meet), I invariably experience a less critical mind in myself. I can see someone else's overweight, for example, but it just doesn't get my attention. In stead, some other loveliness does. I notice their good taste in clothes, a healthy walk, shiny hair cut well first. And the day inevitably is more joyful and filled with laughter. (The laughing Buddha is no bad symbol for the true nature of God.)

Do try it yourself.




Mahatma Gandhi sa: "Finner du ikke Gud i det neste mennesket du møter, er det bortkastet tid å lete videre."

Jeg kunne overanalysere det Gandhi sa, så jeg velger heller å begrense meg til dette: Vi har alle en guddommelig eller åndelig gnist i oss og er vi ikke i stand til å se og anerkjenne dette i andre mennesker, kan vi heller ikke se og anerkjenne det i noe annet. Ved å fokusere på det guddommelige i den andre, ser vi forbi personlighet, vaner, utseende, og oppførsel. Vi ser det som gjør den andre både enestående og verdifull.

Jeg har funnet ovenstående vanskelig å forstå og praktisere. Det er ingen automatikk for meg å se det åndelige i en annen. Jeg har lettere for å bedømme ut fra det overfladiske, fornøyd eller irritert med det jeg observerer. De dagene jeg med vilje har fokusert på Ghandis ord ved å si til meg selv at jeg vil se Gud (eller lære å se Gud) i det neste mennesket jeg treffer på, opplever jeg uten unntak å møte den andre med et langt mindre kritisk sinn. Jeg kan se at vedkommende er f.eks. overvektig, men det får liksom ikke min oppmerksomhet eller fordømmelse. I stedet legger jeg først merke til noe positivt: De kledelige klærne, en energisk gange, glansfullt hår i en kledelig frisyre. Og selve dagen er alltid fylt med mer glede og latter. (Den leende Buddha er helt klart et godt symbol på Guds sanne natur.)

Prøv selv!

Comments

SolSionnach said…
so, Blogger is back up, but very slow with the comments!

You wrote I would sooner stop at the surface, charmed or annoyed, and that would be that.

No kidding! the above is so much easier, but as you hint in your post, life is so much richer the harder way.

I'm going to try that today (of course, it's easy to see the Divine in the first *being* I see in the morning, since it's my darling pood...)
Keera Ann Fox said…
But that's the beauty: It isn't hard! I affirmed a few times, "Teach me to see God in the next person I meet all day." Some days I chose, "Let me see God in the next person I meet." And I became instantly less critical and the whole day was happier. It's that simple!
SolSionnach said…
Yes, it's simple... but it's damned hard to remember to DO IT!

Like any other habit, it takes *effort* for it to become *effortless*. :)

I, for one, forget very easily. But this afternoon in clinic I had the proper attitude, even without the affirmation. We'll see how that goes later in the term, when I'm tired!

(funny thing, blogger just gave me the exact same word verification that it did this afternoon, when I first commented!)
Keera Ann Fox said…
It works best if it's among the first things you do for the day - since we are talking about setting the day up. But affirmations work anytime. My experience is that it is such a turn-on to have a wonderfully smooth-sailing day, that I want to bless my day in the morning. I do it while I walk to work. Walking to work reminds me to do my daily affirmation the way going to bed reminds me to brush my teeth.
SolSionnach said…
Oh, I like your suggestions. I'm hoping to ride the bus when I get to NY, since the clinic I'm likely to be working at is on a major street. I just need to live near a bus stop.

While I was waiting for the comments to come up just now, I realized that there is another way to look at this - seeing the Divine in one's SELF everyday. If for no other reason than one is more likely to treat oneself better - and thereby treat others better, as well.
Keera Ann Fox said…
I realized that there is another way to look at this - seeing the Divine in one's SELF everyday Quite so. We mustn't forget the connection we ourselves have. It can be challenging, though, looking into the mirror and declaring you want to find God. It does seem easier with others.

I do find that one nice side-effect to focusing on others, is that I forget to criticize myself. :-)

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