Sat Nam Dear Family,

Very often, the least thing you want to do is hear another’s point of view. In reality, it’s the best thing for you. There can be no understanding unless you can stand under your thinking because you’ve heard others and have understand yours to be the best of all, or, and most importantly, you’ve changed your view in pursuit of the best because of another’s view.

If I don’t understand the pain of another, how can I ask him to keep-up? I can’t and I shouldn’t. This understanding comes form visiting, I didn’t say residing in another’s understand, I said visiting. It’s scary because even for a short time, you have to suspend your way of thinking, and your security, to truly understand another’s view point.

Usually, it’s just better to leave ‘well enough’ alone as the saying goes. But, we’re Sikhs. We can’t leave ‘well enough’ alone. That’s not who we are. We want to hear what we don’t want to hear. First and foremost because there’s nothing we really don’t want to hear. Please, let me explain.

Because we’ve been practicing hearing what we don’t want for decades, we’ve prepared ourselves for whatever lies ahead.

Hearing others has broadened our view. To truly hear another means that you’ve neutrally analysis whether another’s view is better, worse, adds southing, creates animosity, you name it. When this communication changes your view, true understanding has happened.

If I’m right, why do I need to change anything? Everyone has something to teach, so even if it’s the understanding that another’s view is totally B.S., that knowledge alone is priceless. Find the lesson and you’ve passed the lesson, no test required, finding the lesson is the test in and of itself.

Hearing another’s view, visiting another’s pain, seeing another’s plight, is the opening hand in reconciliation, reconciliation of relationships, personal, inter-personal, uber-personal, and unipersonal. You’ve done your Godly duty. You’ve extended. Yes, it takes two to tango, but you can only do what you do. Don’t worry about another, just do your duty. That’s the secret. All the game of life and death is played inside ourselves.

Visiting another’s view allows you the great advantage of understanding over others.You understand much better than they do you, you have a telescope into a more balanced view of the total situation. That’s just the way it is. I can’t change it even if I wanted to. When you see things from a neutral place, balance in judgement becomes automatic.

Hearing another’s view doesn’t mean arguing. Not at all. In fact, hearing another should lead to agreement. How can that be if you don’t agree? Again, the question of the Universe pops-up: How can opposites be reconciled? Well, this is the beginning. We’re getting ahead of ourselves.

If what you hear is another’s reality, or non-reality, it’s easy to agree with them if that’s what they want. Their reality is what they subconsciously believe or want to believe, so it’s their reality. Challenging it would be foolish, useless, and show a mannerless nature. We’re Sikhs, we don’t proselytize. If our radiance doesn’t speak for us, nothing will. Everyone has a right to believe as they believe. Sure, we learn how to control others, but that’s not the Sikh game. At the minds core, we are in control. Guru ji keeps the mind in control the right way. Basically, that’s it. We brainwash ourselves. Is that even possible? It is if we’re lucky.

This world is not about how you start out, nor is it about how you proceed through life, life is about how you finish up. Mess-up, do all the ups, but just show-up in the end. Show-up in sincere service to Guru ji. This is the only job of a Sikh. All else will be commanded and accommodated.

Of course, the question follows: if you’ve heard another’s perspective, have you heard your own? Is your perspective what you want? Is it who you want to be? If not, what do you want to do about it? Oh yea, and how do I do that, watch myself, that is?

It’s really not that difficult. All these questions can be answered with one answer. Just practice watching with you say until you can hear it before you say anything. Then, practice changing what you hear, what you were going to say, with something more conscious. Keep-up and this progression will happen. 

Then, as things progress, you should judge your opinions against your projections. Do they match up? If not, why? If they do, where are my projections leading me?

The last question sums it up. Who’s teaching will always lead you up. The operative word being ‘always.’ That means through all times. The only thing I know which is throughout all times leads upwards is Guru ji, God. So, I listen to all opinions, I judge them against Guru ji’s teachings, God’s perspective.

That’s how we Sikhs, find neutrality which is verified and experienced through this balanced understanding. When the height is found, everything else is understood. Understanding which is protected under Guru ji’s roof becomes comfortable, continual, contained, and contented.

My advice, hear others, see others. Get in the habit of understanding others. This is our way, our Sikh way. For a Sikh, understanding turns into love. Everything is of God’s doing, so love it all, including hearing what you don’t want to hear. Stay tuned,

P.S. For those worried about the number of times I mention ‘judging,’ the only person a spiritual person is permitted to judge is himself. that’s it, ‘that’s all folks’

In the Humility of Service and Gratitude,
MSS Hari Jiwan Singh Khalsa
Chief fo Protocol
Custodian General of Sikh DharmaSangat Representative