November 2
In the Same Way, You Brush Your Heart Also
WYou may be regular in your practice; but if every morning you sit without any movement for one whole hour and meditate, and the next minute you go out and express all your negative feelings to others, what’s the use? That’s not spiritual practice. How much of animosity, backbiting, dislike, hatred, “I don’t like her, I don’t like him,” is there in your life? Touch your own heart and question yourself, “Am I loved by everyone? Do I love everyone? Or is there any dislike towards anybody?” Go to that person, shake his or her hand and say, “I’m sorry I had this kind of feeling. It’s terrible, it makes me sick. I am sorry.” That’s worth a hundred days’ meditation.
Have no ill feeling toward anyone. The moment you have some difference of opinion or any feelings of suspicion, go, immediately talk to that person. Say, “I’m getting a feeling like this. Please, I must clarify it. Come on, let’s get that over with.” Don’t even allow it to stay in your heart for a few hours.
Sometimes these kinds of feelings come up. It’s natural; but don’t go to sleep like that. Before you go to bed, it should be cleared up. Don’t you brush your teeth before you go to bed? You go to bed with clean teeth, is it not so? In the same way, brush your heart also. How can you brush your heart? Talk to the people concerned. Clean out the negative feelings, then you can go to bed with a clean heart and sleep comfortably. If you consciously try it, it becomes very easy. It’s not really an impossible thing.