We live in a world where it’s difficult to be heard. Wherever you go, you see people arguing with each other in rude and combative ways– refusing to listen to or to acknowledge their views. Their opinions seem to be hardcoded in their minds. Nothing…neither facts nor contrary evidence…can relax their ego. Quite often, we see the disagreements degenerating into verbal brawls, shouting matches and slang fests – vitiating the atmosphere; polluting it with disrespect. Not for nothing that scholars refer to our times as the Age of Intolerance.

Tolerance is the respect of the views and values of others. It is a quality that enables us to listen to others without judgements and give their views in due regard. It is an important trait to inculcate in our Journey to Oneness.

By cultivating this quality, we can engage with each other mindfully and in a peaceful manner. Gone would be the days – filled with anger, stress and anxiety from the pressure of defending our values. Tolerance would be a handy tool to manage conflict and foster cooperation. While the benefits of tolerance at an individual level are significant; at a societal level, they are irreplaceable.

Tolerance is the prerequisite for a happy world because it’s the glue that binds the positive traits of camaraderie and trust into a deep, strong foundation of social values. A robust foundation for inclusive progress.

To cultivate tolerance, we must respect others – even those whom we disagree with or abhor – by cleansing ourselves of the negative emotions of enmity and by adopting a loving attitude towards all. However, it isn’t possible to radiate love without loving oneself. The Loving Mindset (Prem Bhav) is a state of being that’s highly conducive for this purpose.

We can acquire this mind state by surrendering ourselves to a figure of our belief – known as the Guru Tatwa. We could submit to a person, a living being or an inanimate object…anything that embodies the spirit of our belief. Alternatively, we could surrender to our love for our Guru Tatwa. Surrendering entails the strict observance of the Guru Tatwa’s guidance and the expression of our devotion. If we follow this process, we will kindle the Guru Tatwa in our hearts – triggering self-love. As the love for our Guru Tatwa blossoms, the bond between the self and the Guru will become stronger. Eventually, we will form a composite, spiritual whole with our Guru. Consequently, self-love will be magnified. Happiness will flow constantly and bountifully through our souls.

A person in The Loving Mindset can express love to everyone – even those professing divergent views. He can give the dissenter a patient hearing. He can digest his opinions without jumping to judgmental conclusions. Of course, he may not accept the other person’s views if his values differ from his. However, he’s in a loving state. In this mindset, he’s focused on the other person’s happiness. In this mode, he will certainly respect his values and opinions. His words and actions will be expressed with the intention to express positive energy; to provide constructive feedback and to further the other person’s well-being. This is how the Loving Mindset will help him convey respect to his detractor.

Respect begets respect. By virtue of the Golden Rule of Reciprocity, he would earn the other’s respect. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule. If the other party is full of inner negativity and lacks the awareness or recognition of the same – he may be unmoved by this positive gesture. Even in such aberrations, however, a person with deep self-love would not be deterred from expressing positivity. Impervious to the poison from the infected darts – he would unleash a torrent of love that would overrun the recalcitrant one’s dam of resistance.

In the final analysis, we can develop tolerance by loving ourselves. Through self-love, we can express our respect for the views and values of others. Cultivate this faculty. Feel the happiness of being ensconced in the loving embrace of the universe.