PRAISE and CRITICISM

What is the reason behind the statement above? Before we try to understand this sutra, it is necessary to understand the facts hidden around.

The Very first thing to understand is that neither honour a factual truth, nor dis-honour; nor favour nor disgrace

We feel honoured when our EGO is PLEASED. Dishonour is what we feel when our ego is belittled and hurt. Favour and Disgrace are both experiences of the EGO, and EGO is an UNTRUTH, a NON REALITY.

The EGO is the biggest lie in our lives. The ego is an imaginary unit. We cannot live out it for the simple reason that we are unaware of our authenticity. Since we are unaware of the authentic master, we have created a false master.

We are totally ignorant of our authentic centre; and because it is impossible to live without a centre, we have created a false one for ourselves.

LAO TZU says, "when some one praises us, we feel a sense of happiness; when someone criticises us, we feel pain". It feels as if it is the other who gives happiness or inflicts pain, but the root cause of all pleasure and pain is within us. – and that is our ego. He who has no ego with in him feels no pleasure or pain from others. And he who feels no pleasure or pain becomes established in Ananda (Bliss).

Anybody can give us joy or sorrow. We are captives in the hands of others. We have completely handed over the reins of our feelings to others.  Our smiles and tears are controlled by outside agencies.

BUT LAO TZU says that the cause of this outward control is also deep within us; it is our ego. Because of the ego, we are influenced by Others. Whether friend or foe, whether praise or blame, It is the other who influences because we have no genuine centre, authentic centre of our own. We have a false centre, and the very form of this centre, is such that it is controlled by others.

Try to follow this. The ego is not within our control. You will be surprised to know this! we all think, it is my ego and therefore I am its master. It would be advisable to dispel this illusion. The ego is not with in your control. The ego is controlled by others. That is why each word of others is so precious to us.