Be happy with people who are doing good job

Chapter 5 - Overcoming Obstacles 

Day 34 

And we should be happy with people who are doing good job, who are meritorious, who have lots of merit and who are blessed. We should become one with them, feel that we are doing the good job with them. Then, the sense of competition disappears and jealousy subsidies. 

The tendency to find fault with people who are doing good things will disappear. People have a tendency to find faults if someone is good and blessed or meritorious and doing some good work. At least they have done whatever they have done! The persons, who complain, normally, would not have done much themselves. 

Criticism comes from people who do not work. They just criticize others. We should not find fault with people who are doing some good work. We should feel happy about it. Do not find fault, but feel happy for those people who are doing good work. You do this when you will become one with them. If the right hand is doing good job, the left hand will appreciate it and will not stop the right hand from doing it. 

So it feels that it is a part of the other hand. It can hold the table and the paper, so that the other hand can hold the pen and write well. So, we should feel that those who are doing something good are a part of us, and that we are doing a good job along with them. We should feel happy about it. 

Mudita means happiness about people who are doing wonderful job. Share the happiness, feel happy. Ignore those people who are committing sins. Upeksha - just ignore them in your mind. If somebody says something which is not true, just brush it off. It is not even worth thinking about. But we do the reverse. We do not think of people who are doing meritorious work. 

But we keep on thinking about people who do sinful things and we don't just ignore them. All the newspapers will report about somebody who committed a murder or some other heinous crime. The story and the snaps of the criminals will appear in the papers. Fortunately, of late there are some reports on the good and positive things happening to people. But this is comparatively very little. 

So, when you see people doing sinful things, you should educate them and then ignore them. You educate out of compassion and then ignore. Otherwise, you will think about their actions and get bothered. You may think somebody is imperfect. If you go on thinking this, then you will become imperfect. Then, you will be just as they are, maybe, even worse. 

Secondly, you are thinking that the person is wrong and you think you are right. If you look honestly at yourself, you will realize that you may be committing more crimes. If you point an accusing finger at somebody, then there are three fingers always pointing towards you. So, it is one is to three. You have three times more responsibility. But, if you stop differentiating between yourself and others, then you can just turn inward.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankarji 

PATANJALI YOGA SUTRAS