Our behaviour speaks about our personality. And whatever we get back from others is really a reaction of our own behaviour. If our behaviour is positive, we get positive reaction from others. If our behaviour is negative, we get negative reaction from others. Conversely, if someone loves me, it is the reaction of my own behaviour. And if someone despises me, that too is the reaction of my own behaviour. It's like mirror. It's our own reflection. While walking through a road, if you smile at a passer-by, he will smile back. If you glance at him and look away, he will also look away. But we are not ready to accept this. We think that others are the reason for my such a situation or bad fate. And due to this, our thinking becomes biased, we fall into the pit of attachment and hatred, and get distracted from the path of Bhakti.
It doesn't matter which sect or path you belong to, this equal behaviour for all (samata) is the foundation of Sanatan Dharma. Ram charita manas says:
"Siya Ram may sab jag jani,
Karahu pranam jori dui jug pani."
Meaning: I see the whole world as manifestation of Sri Siya Rama. And I offer my obeisances to them everywhere by joining both my hands in the pranam/namaskar act.
Chaitanya charitamrita says:
"Jive samman dibe jani Krishna adhisthan"
Pay your respects to all living beings, understanding that Krishna resides in them all.
Shrimad bhagvat Gita says:
"Aham atma gudakesa, sarva-bhutasya-sthitah
aham adis cha madhyam cha, bhutanam anta eva cha"
I am the Self, O Gudakesa (Arjuna), seated in the hearts of all creatures. I am the beginning, the middle and the end of all beings.
The resolution of all shastras is the same, it doesn't matter which path of enlightenment its talking about. Sanatan Dharma is only one, it's not different for different people. The different sects are like the different branches of the same tree (sanatan dharma), and the root of this tree is this Samata. If a person sitting on one branch thinks that the branch is itself the actual tree and everything else is incorrect or just nothing, it's pure narrow mindedness. Manu samhita describes Dharma as:
"Ahimsam satyam asteyam saucham sanyamam eva cha,
Etat samasevam prokto dharmam pancha lakshanam"
Non-violence, truth, honesty, inner and outer purity, and discipline of senses : these are the five attributes of Dharma.
Only by accepting this simple and unbiased definition of Dharma can we transcend all the seeming differences between the various sects and paths of Dharma, and attain Samata. Without this Samata, each person sitting on one of the branches of Dharma thinks my branch is the correct one, the other branch has such and such shortcomings. Another one sitting on another branch thinks the same. Actually, Dharma is one, everyone is correct in their own respective branches, but the shortcoming is in our thought.
At the end of Krishna lila on Earth, when Krishna was seated under a tree and Uddhav understood that Krishna is going to end his Bhauma lila (pastimes on Earth), he sat down near Krishna and Krishna gave lectures to Uddhav on various paths through which a person can attain him. Uddhav noticed that Krishna is describing all the different paths to attain him and establishing each path as correct and equally important. He then asked Krishna which path did he consider to be the best one for the people of Earth to attain him. Krishna said that when Pitamaha Bhishma was lying on the arrow bed, waiting for Krishna to come and give him darshan, the Pandavas went to meet him for the last time. At that time, Maharaj Bhishma had described the importance of and established the supremacy of Bhakti yoga over all other yogas and paths of attaining Krishna. This is not unknown to Uddhav, the student of Brihaspati. But he wanted to know what Krishna himself considered the best path to attain him. So, he again asked Krishna his own opinion on the matter. Then Krishna says:
"Aham hi sarva kalpyanam sadrishino mato mama,
Mad bhavo sarva bhuteshu kaya mano vakya vrittibhih."
Meaning: This whole cosmos is a manifestation of myself (Krishna) and the sadhak must see me in every creature and everything in this world and accept this physically, mentally and verbally.
This is the ultimate teaching of Shrimad Bhagavatam. The disparities we see in others is a manifestation of our inner ignorance.
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