Page 17 - NAMAH-Oct-2022

Namah In the Face of Error and Evil

judgment through the use of reason, buddhi Dharma and awaken in us true discernment. So
or discernment is more subtle. Reason, as we too discernment and dharma can lead us to the
have seen, has an outer locus. It judges and doors of the Divine where we can take refuge
acts based on the outer consequences of one’s in Him through surrender and, abandoning all
actions, from material and monetary losses standards of conduct, follow the direct Divine
and punishments at the lowest to injury and Impulsion, the Will of the Divine within us.
its attendant results at its best. It subordinates Once we reach this point then we are truly free,
and disciplines the vagrant vital impulses freed from the ignorance and error that stalk us
of man taming the animal in him but it does as a prey. We are released from responsibility
not fundamentally change the nature of the of our actions and care of consequences since
animal. At best, it glosses over and paints now a greater consciousness of Truth takes
the beast with colours of beauty, often acting charge of our lives and saves us not only from
as an advocate justifying and defending the actions that deviate from the law of Truth but
indefensible to comfort our hearts and lull the also from the consequences that may ensue.
deeper sense of ethics to sleep. At its darkest
worst, it deceives with wisdom and the holy
lore and slays with virtue at the altar of a lie.

Not so with discernment. The eye of discernment,
buddhi, is turned inwards and upwards. It
seeks to satisfy neither our own ego nor of the
collective ego of mankind but to satisfy the
natural love of the soul for truth and beauty
and good, or for the Divine, or for the greater
Self that one intuitively feels. It not only tames
the beast in us but turns it into a vehicle for the Compassion and forgiveness
soul, which can use its intensity and strength
for greater and higher purposes. Discernment If this is true about the way we should deal
has to be cultivated and developed, dharma has with our errors, as inevitable steps in the
to be discovered and uncovered. Discernment ignorance that moves towards Truth and Light,
helps us make decisions that would draw us the same should apply in our dealings with
closer to the Divine essence of things. Dharma the errors and mistakes of others. Instead of
helps us fulfill God’s Will in the world. looking upon these things as units of social
problems or with vengeance and hatred, we
Is this the highest to which human conscious-ness should look upon this layer of humanity as
can uplift itself in its search for freedom from souls trapped in ignorance. One may chide
error? The Gita says that there is yet a last step, them if needed, even restrain them, if that
a radical step that man can take. A careful study be the Will and Inspiration within us, so that
of scripture to find the wisdom enshrined in it, they may be prevented from further harming
separating it from the temporal, from the eternal their own journey as well as harming others.
laws, to a faithful following of the advice and Yet there should be no place for hatred and
counsel of reason, can lead us to the doors of anger. Forgiveness is often advocated but this

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