Question:

I just figured that one of my spiritual world colleagues is jealous because I am meditating longer hours and have become quieter than her. She herself acknowledges that she is a loose cannon. She gossips a lot even about her own family life. She tried to dissuade me with her gossiping and back-biting. I am very clear that the silence that I am experiencing in my meditation is special.

How can people be jealous and gossip-mongers on this spiritual path? How to deal with such people?

Answer:

Spiritual jealousy is not uncommon. Even Buddha had to face jealousy from his own cousin who conspired several times to defame Buddha. But Truth always triumphs in the end, dear. You be with your own Truth!

What is your Truth?

Your own experience of your own meditation that takes you to a completely silent mind is your Truth. There is no bigger teacher than your OWN experience.

Why are people jealous on the spiritual path?

They have not realized the meaning of ‘true spirituality’.

They just fool themselves as well as others. They feel that by attending spiritual courses/sessions they have become highly spiritual. In reality, it is just spiritual entertainment for them. Every spiritual venue is just a ‘party place’ or a ‘political playground’.

Unfortunately, they do not realize that true spirituality means ‘truly transforming your own self at ANY cost’ and making every effort to abstain from gossip, excessive and un-required speech, slander, verbal & mental harm, lies, politics, conspiracy, demotivating others, etc. Such people have been well described in Aamir Khan’s Indian Bollywood movie PK as ‘Wrong numbers’. Watch the movie, you will get what I am saying dear. 

So what to do with Mr or Ms or Mrs Wrong Number?

• Always learn to filter out other people’s negative words that muddy up your own pure experience [even if these people seem to be in a position of power and status]. Buddha would never gossip/discourage/bad-mouth/defame at any cost. So even if someone is pretending to be like Buddha but still indulging in negativity like gossiping and bad-mouthing, then he/she is a pretend Buddha.

• Secondly, courageously call out his/her bluff without hesitation. There is no need to resent anyone, just smilingly maintain your distance from the gossiping mind because such a mind is a diseased mind. And above all, the disease is contagious  The proof will be that you will see some other minds contracting the same disease of jealousy/gossiping/back-biting after being in verbal and aural proximity to the diseased individual.

• Thirdly, you must radiate compassion and love [during your meditation] to this diseased individual. You will see that radiating compassion is one of the easiest techniques that have the potential to take one into the deeper states of Samadhi. So actually, you can use this individual to your own advantage. 

• Lastly, don’t follow gossip, don’t encourage it, don’t even acknowledge it, as you will definitely be ashamed later and won’t be able to find your way back. Follow Buddha’s vows of morality at all costs for the sake of your own spiritual progress. Remind yourself, time and again, ‘Not my circus, not my monkeys’.

Always remember, negativity always leads to spiritual digression whereas radiating love and compassion after distancing yourself from the negativity is the only way that can help you progress spiritually. Therefore for the sake of maintaining your own special silent mind state, it is best to ignore the ignorant.

There is a meaningful poem by Kabir:

Kabira khada bazaar mein, 
maange sabki khair 
na kahun se dosthi, 
na kahun se bair 

Kabira standing in the bazaar
wishes for the welfare of all,
neither is he anyone’s friend,
nor is he is anyone’s enemy.

You keep chugging silently on the path… walk alone… trust only your OWN experience!