Faults Everywhere

There was a man who often spoke about others. He would point out their mistakes, their habits, and their shortcomings with great ease. To him, it seemed natural, almost necessary to notice what was wrong. Yet, in spite of all this, his mind was never at peace.

One day, he came to Sai Baba and began speaking again about someone he disliked.

“Baba, that man is careless… and selfish,” he said.

“He does not do anything properly.”

Baba listened quietly. After a while, he picked up a small metal plate and held it out.

“Look into this,” he said.

The man glanced at it. The surface was dull and slightly scratched.

“I cannot see clearly,” he said.

Baba wiped the plate with a cloth and handed it back.

“Now look,” he said.

This time, the man saw his reflection. Baba looked at him gently.

“When the surface is not clean, everything appears unclear,” he said.

The man stood silent. He began to see that the way he looked at others was not always about them. Often, it was shaped by something within himself. From that day, he spoke a little less about others, and began observing himself a little more.

Moral

We see others through the state of our own mind.