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Can we judge another without judging ourselves?

As we grow from the helpless dependence of childhood into so-called maturity, as we get enveloped in the inevitable process of conditioning, we are enmeshed in judgement. We have fixed notions of "good" and "bad"; yet, we make an exception in our own case. Most of us have one standard for ourselves and another standard for others. This makes it easier than breathing to sit in judgement upon another. Can we merely act in the world like actors on stage, each playing his part, without carrying the identification home? Can I act decisively against crime or corruption without passing judgement on those involved? Can I retain my fundamental love and respect for another regardless of his or her actions? To do so implies an utter absence of judgement. This does not mean that we cannot discern or that we cannot act; it means that we do not sit in judgement, we do not close our minds with finality and that we are not prejudiced against another forever.

When we use a single act or even a series of acts to brand another as bad, sinful or whatever, we have come to a fixed conclusion in our mind. A fixed conclusion in the mind is a barrier to awareness and receptivity; it ties us down to the past, to obsolete impressions. Life is forever dynamic and new; in the freshness of each moment, life renews itself and so do all of us. Thus, there is no saint or sinner; there are only acts that might be considered sinful or saintly in a particular context. In the absence of context, an action loses its significance. Every action is deemed appropriate or inappropriate with reference to a particular context, a particular framework of reference. All universal laws are deemed appropriate with reference to the intrinsic harmony, peace and contentment within one's own mind. Intrinsically, we are happy when we make others happy; we are peaceful when we promote another's peace and so on. The facts of life point to an indivisible unity of creation. Therefore, in judging another, we sit in judgement upon ourselves. In nailing another, we dig our own graves. Awareness is an indivisible whole, it is not compartmentalised or divided; we cannot have one standard for the world and another standard for ourselves and we cannot, at any point of time, sit in judgement upon another.

To sit in judgement implies infinite competence and total freedom from error. None of us can claim either. As human beings, we are subject to various limitations; one of the most damaging limitations is to sit in judgement upon another. Why does even the best among us have this innate and often subconscious tendency to sit in judgement? This is because, imperceptibly, each of us is tied down to static and fixed notions in the mind. Our awareness is often like a stagnant pool of impressions rather than a flowing river of clear thought and receptivity. Fixed notions, stubbornly clinging patterns, crystallised ideas and deeply ingrained responses enslave us and make us sit in judgement. Therefore, sitting in judgement is not proof of our competence; rather it is proof of our enslavement by static and stubbornly clinging notions. By sitting in judgement upon another, we strengthen the force of deeply ingrained patterns and of rigid definitions of good and bad within our minds. Since life is an ever-changing flux, static definitions merely clutter our minds and block our awareness; they create agonising conflict, bitterness and hatred. By rigid notions, we clutter and fragment our minds; we make it easier to sit in judgement, to effectively close our minds to new insight and awareness. Rigidity and stagnation are signs of death – in this case, it signals the death of our own inner peace and joy. Embittered as we are, enslaved as we are, our lives can become increasingly miserable for others and for us. Thus, we are enmeshed in a self destructive and downward spiral, born of judgement. With increasing finality, we stand condemned in our own eyes and that of others; we stumble under the load of self-inflicted burdens born of judgement.

Sitting in judgement upon another implies a claim to infinite competence and a total freedom from error. Since it is clear and undeniable that we lack these, it is wise to acknowledge our incompetence to sit in judgement upon another. In doing so, we retain our humility and receptivity, the windows of our mind are kept open to receive the fresh air of new insight and awareness, our lives are filled with love, peace and joy. Since we are filled with love, peace and joy, we can give these away, making our lives joyful for others and for us. A refusal to judge another implies humility, receptivity and forgiveness; it implies a capacity to flow with the unceasing flux of life, meeting each moment as fresh and new. It implies peace, love and harmony, it implies the possibility of change and growth and it implies the healing of old wounds and the possibility of new discovery. An utter absence of judgement upon another is the key to living completely in the present moment and to total receptivity to every moment. It implies a focus on self-improvement by enhanced understanding and an infinite capacity and scope for learning. Finally, it opens up the possibility of total awareness that is the cessation of all pain, conflict and sorrow. Thus, absence of judgement upon another is the greatest triumph of one's life, it is the celebration of total awareness that understands and heals without contempt or condemnation.