By Steve Mungroo
Tolerance is nurtured by love. In this context it means to bestow the sweet fruit of love and good wishes even when confronted with difficulties, negativity and ill feeling. To develop the virtue of tolerance, one must practice love and self restraint constantly. You have to be familiar with the law of cause and effect and the inevitability of change. You must be a detached lover and observer, develop love, experience self-respect and the virtues of humility. No matter how angry other people make you, no matter how much they defame and insult you, be tolerant, loving and speak sweetly but little.
A quality necessary to exercise tolerance is endurance. It demonstrates patience with unlimited elasticity and total control of the senses. Tolerance cannot be quantified for there is no room for failure. Failure should be considered as experience to delayed success. Tolerance means to endure all difficulties with love and humility. Each person has their own personality and qualities. If you always remember this – then the power of tolerance becomes easier to articulate and demonstrate. The Supreme is tolerance personified – sop much defamation and blasphemy have been tolerated and yet s/he is merciful loving and offers salvation to us all.
To my brothers and sisters everywhere – I close with these words:
The branches of a tree may shade the light from our eyes
A flower may hide its beauty from us
But it cannot hide love from our hearts.