The great spiritual teacher J. Krishnamurti said the highest form of human intelligence is the ability to observe ourselves without judgment. And this is no small task for we all carry an imaginary presence inside of us which we automatically gift with authority and respectability (even though its voice is a hindrance and not a help).
My sister calls the arrival of our guest "Here Comes Da Judge".
Imagine our magistrate attired in formal black robe and the British judicial white wig altercating furiously for air time in our consciousness. If he wasn't so annoying and didn't dredge up old feelings of unworthiness, this creature would be quite amusing. But the fact is the appearance of our judge introduces negative energy into our aura. Yikes!
What in the world can be done about this vexing creature?
I am thinking this is the perfect time to call in the resources of our Left Brain and turn this disturbing image into a Subject of Study rather than a schlepper of suffering.
It's "white coat time" and, though you will not be donning the pristine uniform in reality, at least "white coat" your mental process and steer yourself away from subjugating your psyche to the judgmental pronouncements.
Collect data. Be curious. Experiment. Be a scientist. Watch how often your "Judge" makes an appearance...and under what conditions and circumstances. Look for patterns in the magistrate's behavior. Note his verbal nuances and the disapproving posture and attitude.
Why would Krishnamurti call observation without judgment the highest form of human intelligence? Because we cannot attain wisdom (sense of or understanding of something) while we are mired down with the weight of self condemnation.
Instead, we need to be able to see the broader view of what is transpiring, how it presents itself, what connections exist within the issue, how we fit into the equation. We must be free from self judgment for self judgment obscures our vision because of the heavy emotional outlay and prevents us from ascertaining the energies at work.
Once we can see those energies (expectations of society and figures of authority, cries of the ego for attention, co-dependence on others' emotions, etc.), we gain clarity regarding where we are giving our power away and we can make choices regarding how WE choose to respond to the opinions and expectations of others.
It is a natural, human reaction to fall under the heavily subjective influence of our "Judge". It is cutting edge to take an impartial look at how this magistrate's leverage has materialized. And it is cutting edge to release this figure's hold on our emotions.
Marie Helena
graphics from can stock.com
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