Pettiness of the Small Mind
By Karmayogi
The
average citizen who has earned the title of a ‘good man'
universally is one who attends to his affairs assiduously. He is not one who
interferes in others' affairs. He does not interest himself in anyone
other than himself. Normally such people will be selfish and not endowed with
any particular capacity. There are others who take a lively interest in others
and their affairs. They will be popular. Such people know the sensitivity of
others and do not cross that border. Their personalities lie on the surface,
their manners are excellent, their judgement of others superlative. They become
the adored symbol of an admiring local community.
Man often comes to the brink of affairs, financial, psychological or social.
The issues involved will always be life or death propositions. These are
occasions when no one can easily help another because they are weighty
occasions involving heavy commitment. At such moments, no 'good man'
or popular idol will come to the help of the victim. As it is a dangerous
situation, anyone trying to help will be risking his wealth or reputation.
Worldly wisdom knows that these are occasions to be avoided. It also knows by
experience that the beneficiary on such occasions will offend the benefactor
without fail. Shiva gave a boon to Basmasura and was a victim to his
'generosity'. Great souls help the sufferer at those moments and
pay the penalty of betrayal without fail. Greater souls help and often escape
unscathed, but not unhurt. Small minds are incapable of receiving help and
refraining from offending the benefactor.
In all great literature, this trait of human nature is recognised. In the
sixties, a 'resourceful' court amin had acquired some substantial
property and retired. He had a certain property for sale, but he was unable to
sell it for ten years, as he expected 2 times the market price. He was
pressing a neighbour, a devotee, to help. The devotee arranged for the sale to
an auditor in Madras. After the auditor had come to the devotee's home town, the
seller disclosed that his son had to sign, as it was in his son's name.
The son asked for 4½ times higher price, higher than the 2½ times, and wished
to consult his brother-in-law who was at a theatre. The brother-in-law refused
to come. The deal fell through. The brother-in-law was a hardware merchant.
Crisis developed at the seller's end and the hardware merchant sent for
the devotee! On the refusal of the devotee to go to the merchant, the merchant
cycled to the devotee's old house and was disappointed. It was a task for
him to find the devotee's new house. Sheepishly he came searching for the
devotee to ask for help. The petulance of a petty mind is incapable of
receiving a generous help offered.