Our Brand New Podcast Episode on Perspectives is Live!

When the same thing is viewed from the prism of different minds, it brings different colours to the same situation – like varied opinions, ideas & meanings and it is applicable to the simplest of things in life. In the world of senses, at the gross level there may be seen a sense of harmony for a particular situation, but at the subtle level of the mind, it is viewed differently by all, depending on their development. It is only when we evolve as a person, a better adjustment is possible. The life of Holy Mother Sarada Devi is a great example of the amalgamation of different ideas and minds. She could live with everyone in the same harmonious way by seeing the point of view of everyone around her. She said, ‘The one who can accommodate and accept, will survive, one who cannot, will perish.’ We can take her example and live peacefully by accommodating many minds. It is the sense of inflated ego that becomes an obstacle in pursuing this goal. When we learn from great people and their way of living, and follow it, we can succeed in understanding various perspectives. Growth in the direction from transactional to the transcendental level is the only way. Sri Ramakrishna too preached practicality and harmony from a spiritual point of view and many examples from his life exhibit that. It is the attention he paid to each person he met and guided them until the end, that made all the difference. The sixteen direct disciples of Sri Ramakrishna followed the principles of their Master after his passing, accomplishing great things in life by merging perspectives, meeting people where they are and raising them to a level of greatness. Their transactional tasks too were guided by transcendental principles which they demonstrated all lifelong. Hence, we can say that it is at the phenomenal plane that all arguments happen when different minds clash and not at an evolved level of spirituality where all minds merge. Similarly, organizations function well when perspectives are understood and merged well. It is the leader that exhibits such values, when decision-making, conflict resolution and delivering quality come into the picture. In a household, it is still easier to maintain harmony as there is more time that is spent with each other and more space for personal reflection is presented. Eventually, it is the attempt to understand life in a broader frame that helps us let go of the mundane pettiness we generally nurture. ‘Be very strict with yourselves and liberal with others’ – is the mantra!