The world we see today is rife with communities pitched in battles against one another on grounds of tolerance or the lack of it.

Many of the chief religions across the world are facing an increasingly insurmountable challenge of keeping people from different ethnic, cultural and social backgrounds together under one roof. One sect does not recognize the other while the social and economically downtrodden are relegated to the fringes on basis of caste, creed or religious animosity.

Religious and political heads, both global and local are putting in their best efforts to appease all sections but there is more to the problem than what meets the eye.

What is the cause of ‘intolerance’? How do we become more tolerant and where do we draw the line of tolerance?

Let us examine the spiritual way to treating it and what our scriptures prescribe.

Tolerance, like many other traits and characteristics, begins within the heart and mind of a person. When that is extended to many people around us, it becomes the trait of a community and then the overall society. The trait to withstand and respect another person’s view, opinion, decision or action is something we need to introspect within ourselves.

No two people think alike. It is a great mystery as well as an amazing phenomenon that two leaves of a tree are not alike. The finger prints of two separate fingers of the same person are not alike. How can we expect two different minds to think alike and in continual harmony?

With this cognizance, a person would realize that it is not always possible to prevail upon the other with his own ideas, thoughts or actions. Hence, a more informed and conscious approach would be tolerate or withdraw the urge to react when a person says something that goes against our beliefs or thoughts.

When we do not react to a unsavoury situation (in a way that the opposite person expects), we are negating the harmful effects it might cause. One can even walk away from a situation that threatens to tip over, thereby avoiding a serious conflict.

There are times when people hurl abuses at you or insult you. They may even refer to your community or religion in terms not acceptable to an honorable society. Yet, if we understand that an ‘intolerant’ reaction will only worsen the situation, our response can be limited. We may choose to try to appease the person and if that does not work, we can walk away from it.

What do the scriptures say about how to be tolerant?

Perhaps the best description of a spiritual person or a devotee was given by Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in the 3rd verse of the essence of bhakti, in his ‘Shikshastak‘, the 8 steps of devotion.

trinad api sunicena
taror api sahishnuna
amanina manadena
kirtaniyah sada harihi

One should chant the holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind, thinking oneself lower than a blade of grass; one should be more tolerant than a tree, devoid of all sense of false prestige, and should be ready to offer all respect to others. In such a state of mind, one can chant the holy name of the Lord constantly.

This is a very profound teaching by one of the greatest saints of bhakti.

A tree suffers and accepts many a setbacks in life. Its branches are chopped, the fruits eaten and the trunk used for many purposes. The wind and the rain batter it with all their might. Yet, it does not complain but stand steady.

The grass gets crushed under the feet and hoofs of animals, humans and even inanimate objects. It does not complain.

It is we humans who created class differentiation. Humans drew boundaries and divided people. Humans created differences within a religion and preached sectarianism.

The tree or the blade of grass does not differentiate. It humbly accepts all that is thrown at it and more without a whimper. It is also a soul, a living being although we humans fail to recognize it. That does not mean that trees are not alive and do not feel the pain. They just cannot say it.

We humans have been gifted all possible senses but put them to the wrong use. What purpose does a hand that kills serve? What does an eye achieve when its vision is not inclusive but divisive? How can a mind that discriminates selectively treat everyone with respect?

Practical situations in the modern world may not be conducive for such ideals in hostile environments but it is a lesson for all humans to understand and practice.

The spiritual treatment of a very inherent and destructive disease of the mind; intolerance, is complete and holistic.

Saints from various religions have always preached tolerance but we seldom heed to their advise. Our urge to welcome anger into our minds fuels the fire of intolerance to unbearable levels. Tolerance is a inner strength which is divine by nature. It is one of God’s innumerable qualities and is unlimited in him. It is the power of tolerance that we all possess inside us but never allow it to grow.

We souls are eternally related to God alone, as the soul is a tiny fragment of God. That is the reason we seek him, the ocean of bliss because happiness is the ultimate aim of each soul.

What Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhuji says has great relevance to us. When we learn to become tolerant and humble, we are allowing the good qualities to flow inside us. When we constantly remember / chant God’s name and fix our mind in him, the heart will naturally melt in his remembrance. Where is the time and energy for hate and intolerance!

Ultimately, tolerance is a revolution that begins in a man’s heart but has the power to influence the whole world. Great personalities of the yesteryear, including saints, have shown us the way to become more tolerant.