When we look at the sun, do we see any spots from here? If one brings a telescope, like Galileo and other astronomers, one can see so many spots. But the immediate feeling is so beautiful. Because of the sun, we are still alive. If there is no sun at all for us, the sun is there in some other hemisphere. The whole world exists because of the sun.
Jefferson had weaknesses like any individual, right from creation. We have to know how to judge each individual. Even spiritual Masters of the highest order were criticised, like our avatars, starting with Sri Ramachandra. Sri Ramachandra had many, many enemies, apart from Ravana. Criticism reigned supreme against him. Against Sri Krishna also, there was so much criticism!
From the earthly point of view, from the human point of view, we judge according to our capacities. These great figures – not only the spiritual figures, but those who are highly developed intellectually, morally, scientifically and in other ways – they come and they try to change the world. They try to expedite the process of evolution. When you build a house, you see there are bricks, clay, sand, mud and all kinds of things. When you look at them, you may not be happy. But when the building is made, you take shelter and live inside the building. When you see the dirt and ugliness or uncomeliness before the building is built, you might lose all your interest. Then when you see the huge building – how beautiful, how majestic, how it has given so much joy to countless people – then do you think of its origin, or do you think of what it has become?
We have evolved from mineral life to plant life, from plant life to animal life, then to human life. Now we are trying to enter into the divine life. While we are in the human life, if we think of our animal life, when we quarrelled, fought and killed and all that, do we make any progress if we think of the past? Here also, in the human body the animal life is actually there; even plant life and mineral life still we have inside. Then again, we have the promise to enter into the divine life – this plant is growing and growing.
When we look at a pond where a lotus is growing, at first it is not beautiful to look at. But then when the lotus grows out of the water, blooms and really blossoms, it is so beautiful. Look at the lotus when it is fully blossomed.
Now we see what Jefferson wanted to give. Jefferson’s vision was all embracing. It was not confined to America or anywhere. In every aspect he discovered something new, something noble, unlike any other president.
It is very easy to see a spot on a chalkboard. A huge chalkboard is all white. Then someone takes a black crayon and makes just one dot. The whole thing is white, but we want to see that one dark, black spot. That is our human tendency. Our very nature is to criticise. Criticism means separation. We want to separate ourselves from others.
We do not want to identify ourselves with the beauty, clarity and serenity of an object. If we see that there are one or two insects, we immediately pay all our attention to those two insects, but not to the vast reality that we are seeing with our heart. Our heart is seeing the beauty and divinity of the object, but our mind is getting malicious pleasure by separating itself from the main object, and seeing only one insect. The mind makes a mountain out of a molehill.
Jefferson as a human being was imperfect. Perfection has not yet dawned in any human nature. Again, this perfection can be judged by human standards. People who criticise Jefferson and others may be inferior in hundreds of aspects of life. Again, they become the judge. But Jefferson’s contribution to the world at large will remain unparalleled. Just because a few dogs bark at an elephant when it is on its way to the market, will the elephant stop walking? The elephant will go towards its destination to have mangoes and bananas in the market.
People may see Jefferson’s faults, but if people use their hearts, they will see the bigger picture of what he has given to the world at large. Our whole human nature is division, division, division, not union. Even the smallest drop will criticise the ocean. But if the ocean-lovers pay attention to the
drop, then they are fools.There are those who love Jefferson the ocean, and those who find fault with Jefferson – here one drop, here another drop, there may be 20 drops or 30 drops or 40 drops. But if you can see the vastness, the infinity of the ocean compared to forty drops, do they not pale into insignificance?
Again, for those who accept the spiritual life, it is all oneness, oneness, oneness. Parents take their children as their own, very own. They always hide or claim their children’s faults as their own, very own, on the strength of their implicit oneness. Parents are doing this not only because it is their bounden duty, but also it is their own feeling of oneness with their children.
This world is like that. If we want to make progress, shall we look at the sun and appreciate that it is giving us light, giving us life? When we look at the sun with our heart, then what happens? Then we want to be as bright as the sun, as powerful as the sun, as illumining as the sun.
We have to use our wisdom at every moment. We are ready to be happy, but how can we be happy? By criticising somebody, by criticising the world? That is the wrong way. The world has many, many good qualities. Now we have to see the good qualities. On a tree there are many branches. Some may be bearing fruits or beautiful flowers. Again, some branches may not be doing well – maybe they are about to die, or they are dry wood.
When we look at the tree, will we not be happier if we look at the beauty of the tree, the flowers and the fruits and wherever there are green leaves? By looking at the defective branches, are we making any progress? Or do we make progress by looking at the other parts, which are full of beauty and offering us a sense of peace and luminosity?
If we are wise, we shall go forward. If we are unwise, we shall not only stay where we are, but by thinking of our animal life or plant life, of our low, lower, lowest qualities, then we are going back again to the mineral life. Here there is no progress. We are in the process of evolution. Shall we go back four or five steps, or shall we take one more step and become completely one with our own divine reality?
We have to use our wisdom at every moment to take one forward step and not go back five or six steps, only to be covered by ignorance. It is our heart’s inner cry that, in the process of evolution, has brought us to the human life. Only one more step is needed. Criticism is not the answer. The answer is the feeling of oneness, of love – to see what one person can give for the betterment and improvement of humanity.
Jefferson stood for humanity’s progress throughout the length and breadth of the world. If we take Jefferson for humanity’s absolutely true progress, infallible progress, then Jefferson is the answer.
We shall all bask in the sunshine of Jefferson’s glory and not see eye-to-eye or side with those who are born critics not of Jefferson, but of light, the light that illumines us, the light that guides us. They are actually criticising the light, the light that Jefferson embodied. By criticising the light, we do not go forward. Only we become great, greater, greatest friends of ignorance-darkness.1. 7 November 2004 Aspiration-Ground↩
From:Sri Chinmoy,Only One Reality Sri Chinmoy, Agni Press, 2025
Sourced from https://srichinmoylibrary.com/oor