Oh, how I wish I were perfect! But of course, I’m not. And just like anyone else, I judge others.
Judging can be a knee-jerk reaction to things that we think that we would not do. Or how we think we are not.
But my favorite spiritual teacher, Ram Dass, teaches us that judgements are really projections of parts of our own selves. And these judgments separate us from others, from ourselves and even from God.
Baba Ram Dass suggests that when we notice ourselves judging, we add to our judgement the words above. “…and I am that, too.” To remind ourselves that the judgment is a projection and that we can own that.
I’d love to know what you think about this technique.
So true! I also love the poem (or long quote?) by Ram Dass that talks about how we judge people in a different way than we judge the rest of the world, particularly nature. Here’s the link:
https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/7711916-when-you-go-out-into-the-woods-and-you-look
Excellent point. I always think of how, when I judged my kids I would always find the most fault when I felt they exhibited the same weakness or problem that I found in myself. A projection of my own failings. Fortunately, I hardly ever gave voice to my judgments.