Learn to handle criticism - 3

Learn to live with criticism. You may be criticized for something you did or something you did not do. Here is an analogy: A monkey was sitting on the top of a tree and he suddenly just picked up a coconut and threw it on the head of the person sitting below the tree. The person picked up the coconut, broke it, drank the water, ate the flesh made a bowl out of the coconut and said thank you to the monkey. If he had hit back with a stone, it would not have been the right attitude. We should be able to say thank you what is done to us. Criticisms hurled at you can be similarly used to your benefit. Instead of defending yourself, see what you must make of the criticism. The criticism could mean,

1). The other person could be correct and justified in saying those things to you. Then do not react. Correct yourself and mend your habits. Tell yourself he was right, and I should mend my ways and God wants me to be perfect. You should be calm and not react at once. Be calm to take the criticism and analyze.

2). The person could be partly right. Then ignore the part that is not correct.

3). The other person could be completely wrong. Ignore the person then, bear with him. Justifying will not help. Defending, making things clear, making the other person realize where he is wrong, teaching him a lesson, I want to show him his mistake, all these are actions of lower vibrations.

St. Francis says:Learn to accept blame, criticism and accusation, silently and without retaliation, even though untrue and unjustified. It takes great strength to show such virtues. That is why St. Francis is called a saint. Remember it could be possible that there is some truth in the other persons statement.

Here is another story:

A saint lived with his disciples in a hermitage and his neighbors constantly criticized him. The disciples wanted to react but the saint always quieted them. One day the disciples happily announced to the saint that their neighbor was dead. Hearing this, the saint was shocked and began to weep. The disciples were confused and asked the saint why he was weeping. The saint said, I lost a friend. That man always criticized me and so he was Gods instrument in helping me, but you all are always praising me and so I am fed up of you all.