Learn to ignore insults

Animals and humans both have expectations. Wild animals have basic expectations of the day’s food and shelter under adverse conditions. Domesticated animals additionally have emotional expectations. They expect to be lovingly fed and cuddled.

At times pets refuse to eat unless they are attended upon. So what can be said of a human’s expectations? Being a social animal his daily activities revolve around others of his own species. He is emotionally conditioned and expectations run high.

More often than not the day’s mood is set remotely by the people around him. He wakes up cheerful with expectations of a day going good.

That may not be the case with another family member and his cheerful greeting may elicit a grumpy look. This is usually enough to set the tone of his day which turns from cheer to gloom. How can such a person find peace or happiness? Such an incident may occur at his home or workplace or any social gathering.

In addition, it is people’s wont to make snide remarks about others behind their backs. At times the scathing attack may come on the face - from own offspring, colleagues, acquaintances, neighbours. A person can refrain from speech but may find it difficult to avoid listening or receiving. Therefore, like water flowing smoothly from a glass surface, a person’s mind should shake off the derogatory remarks and get going; not be a sponge absorbing all the insults, and suffer within.

The Shanti parva of Mahabharatha has a say on this matter: when people either pass depreciatory comments or hurt you by ignoring and their indifference, they are in fact washing away your sins and you need to feel happy that your soul is becoming purer effortlessly.

An interesting analogy of a snake can be drawn here. Snakes have no external ears like humans but they have a system where they sense vibrations and get to know where to hunt and how to remain safe.

Humans should follow suit. We should treat our two ears as two ends of a pipe where everything is let in through one end but at the same time many things are let out through the other end, whilst retaining information and learning experiences needed for our spiritual progress, as life is solely the journey of the soul.