PERFECTION OF IMPERFECTION

July 04, 2012

“I am an imperfect human being… and, I live in an imperfect world.”

Very often, I forget this reality… and, go about behaving as if I am a perfect human being… trying to live in a perfect world!

Some days back, a young man was with me. He had been hugely influenced by a particular spiritual teacher and his organization. The man had specially come to talk about the fine virtues of his great Guru… and how what is taught in that organization was ‘the Truth’!

Such evangelistic fervor is nothing new to me. When a person gets any new wisdom, he assumes his wisdom is the ‘only wisdom’ in the world. The next thing he does is: try to force it upon others… and, do it aggressively.

It is outright selling. And, the disciple does it for his Guru… for his organization.

Over all these years, I have come across hundreds of this ‘enlightened new-recruits’… They come to you and try to make you feel you are a ‘sinner’ (we are, anyway!)… That, the only way to save yourself is by following his Guru’s teachings and techniques and by joining his organization.

It is so repulsive, to say the least.

Still, I do not indulge in any arguments with these over-enthusiastic and over-selling ‘apostles’. In stead, I try to be as courteously assertive as possible. “That is good for you, my dear friend,” I tell them, “I am happy for you.”

But, he is not interested in my compliment. He is interested in recruiting me! So, he persists: “You must read this book… You must listen to this CD… You must attend this ‘basic course’… then this ‘advance course’… You must watch this TV channel… You must… you must…!”

And, then, I do the inevitable: I politely, smilingly get up from my seat… open the door… and, show him the way. “Please!”