One wonders, especially in the Western part of the world, what really the path of discipleship may be. No doubt discipleship has been the path of those who followed Christ and all other teachers, but the modern trend of thought has, by its new influence, taken away a great deal of the ideal that existed in the past. It is not only that the idea of discipleship seems to be little known, but even the ideal towards motherhood and fatherhood, the ideal towards the aged seems to be less understood. The consequence of this change in the ideal in the world has worked unwittingly to such an extent that, in its result, we find a world-conflict just now. The troubles between nations, the troubles existing between classes, the troubles in society life and domestic life, all come from one and the same reason. If a person asks me, “What is the cause of today’s world unrest?” I will say the answer is one word, “The lack of ideal.”
The soul is born from the moment that consideration is born.
The path of discipleship, in the ancient times, was a lesson given to act in all directions of life. Man is not only his body, but he is his soul. And if a child is born on earth, it is not that the soul is born; the soul is born from the moment that consideration is born. This birth of consideration is, really speaking, the birth of the soul. Man shows his soul in his consideration. Some become considerate as children; others, perhaps, in their whole life do not awaken to consideration. People say that love is the divine element. Yes, love is a divine element, but love’s divine expression is only consideration; and it would not be very wrong to say that love without consideration loses its fragrance.
Also, it is not intelligence which is consideration. It is the balance of love and intelligence that brings about consideration. It is the action and reaction of love and intelligence that produces consideration. Children who are considerate, they are more precious than jewels to their parents. The man who is considerate, the friend who has consideration, all those with whom we come in contact, who are considerate, we consider valuable.
It is the lesson of consideration given by the spiritual teachers which is called the path of discipleship.
Therefore it is the lesson of consideration given by the spiritual teachers which is called the path of discipleship. It is not that the great teachers have wanted the discipleship of the disciples for themselves, or the devotion for themselves, or the respect of the pupils for themselves. If any teacher expected that, he cannot be a teacher. How can he be a spiritual teacher who is dependent on the respect, the devotion, the consideration of his pupil? He must be above that, to be above them. But it is taught for their own advantage, as an attribute that must be cultivated.
Till now in India there has been a custom – I myself experienced it when young. When I went to school to learn the ABC from the teacher, the first thing my parents taught me was respect for the teacher, consideration and a kindly inclination. It is a question how far the modern idea of a child going to school is the same. He thinks the professor is appointed to do a certain duty; he does not know the professor, the professor does not know him. When he comes home he has the same tendency towards his parents as at school. Mostly children grow up thinking all the attention their parents give them is part of the duty of the parents. They think, “Perhaps if I am able, I shall pay it back.” The ancient idea was different. For instance the Prophet Mohammed taught his disciples that the greatest debt man has to pay – every man – was to his mother, and if he wished his sins to be forgiven, he must act so through life that at the end his mother, before passing from this earth, would say, “I have forgiven you the debt.” Not that there was nothing owing – money or service – and because of that a person could say, “I have paid.” No, she must say, “I have forgiven you that debt.” What does it teach? It teaches the value of that unselfish love which is above all earthly passion.
To be continued…