Seeing Good

REFLECTIONS ON THINKING AND SEEING GOOD

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"You have nothing to do with the good and bad in others. Instead of wasting time, it should be utilised to discard the bad and develop the good in you." (Sathya Sai Baba Sandeha Nivarini § II, p. 12)

Negative feelings that we have about things, people and events soon obtain a power of their own within us. Such negativity attaches itself to thoughts and, when something recalls them, it returns along with them. We get so used to having these feelings that we fall into thinking their cause to be something outside us. When our own negativity is 'projected' outwards, we then seem unable to change it. But it actually has no existence apart from in our minds.

Negativity may be deep-seated, such as when it first arose early in life, and we may not even normally recognise bad thoughts and feelings for what they are. Such negativity drains us of the will to act in the right way, which in turn depresses the spirit further; like a 'black hole' that increasingly draws energy into its own emptiness.

'REPRESSED' NEGATIVITY

Refraining from expressing such negativity of feeling or thought is beneficial, provided that it is instead dealt with internally and not simply 'repressed' (i.e. not stored up emotionally in the form of fixed reactions, ideas etc.). If not examined and worked upon, it can continue to lurk and spread subconsciously, later arising as bad dreams, in unguarded words or uncontrolled behaviour and so on. It can cause many types of self-destructiveness. Positive emotions, however, are probably less often 'subconsciously repressed' like that.

The force of stored negativity, when worked out and released in the right spirit, converts into constructive energy. There are many good ways of working consciously to tap this; from self-examination and meditational reflection to outward techniques found in group work, therapy and other interpersonal situations. The test of their rightness and effectiveness must be how much non-attachment or equanimity is achieved.

THE PRO- AND CON- ATTITUDES

I sometimes see how the same incident has appeared alternately to me as negative and positive. What I felt strongly against - like bad behaviour by someone - I may later realise in light of reflection or new information, was a well-intentioned act instead. This can also work in reverse. I usually put such instability in my judgement down to insufficient detachment in making it... which means some sort of self-attachment.

When, for example, grown men sometimes run like unruly children to snap up a front place at darshan, or I hear a self-important person harass ashram workers into giving the privilege of a prominent spot, it is a test of my detachment. My reaction may need to be examined to see whether or not it is founded in unselfish love or only in my own desires. Maybe that person was hoping for a last chance to ask Baba something on behalf of some desperately-ill person.

Winning or losing before challenges or before goals we have ourselves set are prime motives for the pro- and con- attitudes that upset our balance of mind. Rudyard Kipling stated the ideal of detachment in his famous poem "If"; "If you can meet with triumph and disaster, and treat these two impostors just the same".

WORKING FOR NON-ATTACHMENT

Sathya Sai repeatedly points out that thinking of oneself as being a non-attached witness gives insight and that the rule to follow here is to discover one's own errors and not those of others. The absence of the negative and positive attitude, of like and dislike, despondency and excitement, is non-attachment. This achievement surely cannot come suddenly of some simple technique of ignoring the world around us, for such self-knowledge arises from the struggle with many varied experiences in life.

The motivation to avoid negative emotions is seldom strong until we really become convinced of their dangers. The effects of feelings, whether in ourselves or others - and especially over the longer term - should therefore be observed.

We can all note how, once we dwell on a negative feeling that has arisen in us, it can extend itself to other areas and to new events - both to real and imaginary situations - if it is not checked by conscious effort. This is what I find Baba often refers to when He reminds us to 'forget the past'.

This may happen with all sorts of doubts that come up, unless attempts are made to see things from both the pros and cons, both the plus and the minus sides. This makes for even-mindedness and helps us to wait until further information or inspiration may come to settle unanswered questions. But if a doubt persists, then put the doubt itself under the microscope to see how it may be unfounded or false... rather than seeking chiefly to pursue it further. This rational method of 'doubting-of-doubts' often shows up the irrational in a conclusion to which we may have jumped or in facts that we may have blown up into imaginary significance. This can give control of the mind without simply having to give up one's judgement and it also helps regulate the feelings.

One aid to developing detachment is making 'self-observational' notes in a spiritual diary that can aid in self-reflection (and also reflect progress!). To reach correct insights and fruitful self-development, observation must be repeatedly guided by the right questions and inspired by ideas from spiritual literature, which provides the background 'theory' and a helpful framework for one's personal experiences.

SEEING, BEING AND DOING GOOD

Being 100% free from negative or bad thoughts is doubtless best, but in my case that is still just an ideal, for they can still pop up again and again in subtle different ways. If I try to discriminate by examining and continually aiming to resolve or counteract and reject those that are negative, I am already underway in detaching myself from negativity.

The goal of positive work to see the good in everyone and in all situations often raises the objections: 'How can I see good when there seems to be only bad?' or 'To ignore and deny the bad or to see good where the opposite is the case is naive or plain foolish!' In response to this I note some ways in which negativity can sometimes be converted into its opposite:-

1) Do not confuse the person with the action: We may unavoidably observe a person's action as being bad without also thereby seeing the person as bad. To think a person bad is usually to fixate on certain actions while forgetting many others. One also ignores their potential for changing to the better later on. Though the gap seems great between us, I must not absolutise it in my mind. The trap is that I might get into the habit of devaluating the other.

It is fair enough to recognise the difference between good and bad behaviour, yet however much I know, I always only see some of the observable part of another's many-sided life. Our negativity in judging others causes us to act in less helpful ways - even aggravate things - when we could just as well have looked on the bright side and brought out the good in the other. This doesn't mean that I must always go on humouring or even associating further with another.

2) Re-programme negative thought patterns: It is unpleasant and bad for us to dwell on life's ills, the failings of others or the madness of the world. Newsmen who continually attend to the evil horrors of this world have repeatedly to fight against cynicism... an unenviable occupational hazard. Similarly with everything that dejects, depresses, disappoints, discourages disgusts, disheartens, dismays... and on and on throughout whole dictionaries of ills. It is easy to moan about any number of relatively trivial things. Better to be on the lookout for the good and thus to 'make good', as they say.

3) Do not let injustice pass or untruth fester: Seeing the good cannot mean closing one's eyes to the truth. Though we must see the good in all, we are bound sometimes to experience wrong and real injustice, or even worse. The situation and our consciences may call upon us to speak out and to act, maybe even forcibly. This need not mean that we act from negativity... such as when we think, speak and act with the genuine aim of correcting things, lessening ill consequences, selflessly helping a victim or intervening fairly so as to avert repetitions. Sometimes, to know a wrong, even a minor one, and not to speak up or act is untruth, whether towards oneself, others or both. This can weaken self-confidence and disturb peace of mind, causing negativity in the shape of festering frustration or bitterness. But great care and circumspection are doubtless always needed!

4) Wait, experience, and examine more before judging: We may think a person's act to be bad when in fact it is good. The goodness always lies in the intention or motive and never simply in the actual result. What may seem to be done for bad reasons may, if we could see into the heart of the doer, have been done out of a high motive or may just have been a misguided effort. A well-meant action is morally good, even if it turns out 'badly' in fact due to the doer's ignorance of certain facts or lack of skill.

We are very often misled into misjudging events by our own ideas, as deep reflection always proves. Others' glaring weaknesses, if seen with inwardly-asserted patience and courtesy, may in time be more understandable when we learn more about what lies behind them. The feeling of aggravation may then be supplanted by understanding. Yet sometimes we do reach unavoidable conclusions and are in no doubt about another's ill intentions. Without trying to deceive ourselves we may, if evenminded, still see other goodness in that person.

The main thing seems to be that we should rather examine ourselves and our own motives whenever we think we can judge another person's deepest motives. By adopting some conscious distance from our thoughts we may gently overlook what we cannot condone or agree with in others.

5) Direct thoughts to higher things: Good and bad are our subjective associations to things arising from our desires and expectations, they are not objective qualities in things, nor do they have ultimate validity. This applies both to pleasure and pain and even to illness and suffering. It follows that thinking about or meditating on whatever relates to the higher reality is affirmative of everyone and everything as it leads away from the distinction of good and bad upon which negativity depends.

(Robert Priddy. March 1995)