CHAPTER I

WORKBOOK

Questions - Can judgmental tendencies be overcome?

Suggested reading – Ch. 15

Dear Heart,

Your answers contribute to the whole truth. Please answer from the very depths of our heart and true knowing. My answers are mine. They may be right for you or not. If not, please, trust yourself and dive deep within for your own right answers. There is only one truth, and we might both be right, or we might both be wrong. When we keep an open mind, we both benefit from eachothers contribution to truth and the whole world benefits. When we are willing to be wrong, willing to question every value and belief we have ever held dear, we allow truth to dawn once again upon our minds.

These questions are intended to elicit your own inner knowing. Trust yourself. Trust that you have the truth within. My answers are intended to be a counter balance to guide you to your own inner knowing, not to set me up as the only one who knows the truth, by any means.

God's peace be with you and thank you for your participation, through which I believe you are contributing to the transformation of the world. By being willing to transform your heart and mind from ego consciousness to God consciousness the whole world benefits.

What is good judgment? What is faulty judgment?

What is non-judgment? What is discernment? How do we discern the real from the unreal?

Do you judge others? How do you deal with others' judgments of you? Do you judge yourself? What is the purpose for judging?

How do we see the world through the eyes of judgment? How do we see the world through the eyes of non-judgment? How do you look upon the world?

Why do we judge? Does ego judge? How do we overcome judgmental tendencies? Are we really in a position to judge others?

Have we all judged ourselves guilty? Of what? Is this cause for punishment?

If you see corruption in the workplace how do you refrain from judging? Are you judging if you condone the behavior? Are you judging if you condemn the behavior?

When is judgment a problem? Please give some examples. How are obviously erroneous conclusions drawn? How does judgment lead to justifying the unjustifiable?

When is non-judgment a problem? Is non-judgment passive? How should we respond? Is indiscriminately condoning all behaviors non-judgment? Is it OK to do whatever you like as long as you don't judge it?

Are some people guilty? Do you think of anyone as guilty? Can you be innocent while you see guilt in another? How should we respond to inappropriate behavior? What happens when you condone actions that are not in alignment with truth?

Is it a judgment to be honest and call someone on their stuff? Is it effective? How do you know when another is out of integrity?

If someone commits a murder, all the evidence proves that he committed the crime, and even he has admitted to the charges, how do you respond and still maintain his innocence?

What is the cause of a critical mind? Are there people in your life greater than you? How is making an idol a judgment? Is there a way to feel separate from others without judgment?

When are beliefs judgments? What are some such beliefs? When are beliefs not judgments? What are some of those beliefs?

Did God create us perfect? Yes. Did He change His mind? No. Did we change ours? Yes. Do you want to be perfect as God created you? Where does the idea of being different from how we were created come from?

Does perfection require judgment? Why is perfection judged? Will the perfect judge those who are not perfect? Can perfection lead to arrogance? Is it hard to be around someone who is perfect? Is it arrogant to be perfect?

Is it good to expect perfection of yourself and others? Is it possible to err and still be perfect? Does tolerating imperfection require judgment?

Does God judge? Does God punish the wicked? Does God expect perfection? Does that require judgment? Do we judge God?

Are we ever in a position to judge anyone? What is prejudice? Can you see inequality and not judge? Can you think God creator without judging Him as superior?

What is good use of judgment? If we refrain from judging, how do we respond to hurtful behavior?

Is it a judgment to call something off when it is off? What do you do if you aim for the bull's eye and miss? How does it feel when you hit your target? How is it the same for mistakes? What is the spiritual bull's eye? If someone misses the bulls eye would you tell them they hit it?

Is it a judgment to see yourself a sinner? Yes, as long as we think we can sin, we are judging ourselves to be different from how God created us. What is your experience with those who hold this belief? The act defensive, take license, feel helpless, feel forces outside of them to be the cause of their errors, shirk self-responsibility and do not speak or act from integrity.

Did Jesus die for sins? Did Jesus teach perfection? Can one be both perfect and in need of salvation from sins? Can one be perfect and make mistakes? Does correction of mistakes restore perfection? What is the point?

Is it ok to believe Jesus is your savior?

What is the last judgment? Will God destroy the world?

Answers - Can judgmental tendencies be overcome? YES

What is good judgment? Drawing conclusions based on sound, incontrovertible, undisputable evidence, reliable witnesses, looking at all the evidence, detached from the outcome, basing conclusions on reason and logic. What is faulty judgment? Judgment based on inconclusive evidence, misperceptions, ideas of inequality between teacher/student, parent/child, God/devotee, healer/patient… irrational conclusions, opinions, false witnesses, hasty or foregone conclusions, differences on the level of form, social status, degree, wealth, job…

What is non-judgment? Seeing the big picture, not drawing hasty conclusions, staying open, willing to be wrong, seeing all as innocent, neither condemning or condoning imperfection, seeing imperfection as unreal, seeing all as equal, being tolerant of others' ideas. What is discernment? A determination to find the truth, willing to look carefully at all the evidence, being broad-minded, willing to be wrong about evidence gathered, separating the real from the unreal, the worthwhile from the useless… How do we discern the real from the unreal? The real is unchanging, holy, pure, love, true… and the unreal is changing; fear, hate, prejudice, harmful, vulnerable, deteriorates with time…

Do you judge others? Most people judge all the time and most judgments serve to maintain separation, based on gossip, misperceptions and a tendency to see things as they are not rather than as they are in truth. Because I see all as created equal by God, I cannot judge. It makes no sense to me. How do you deal with others' judgments of you? One who is unaffected by what others think of him is free and possesses self-confidence and self-worth. Self love helps one to be unaffected. Sometimes I get frustrated by others' judgments, but I always ask Spirit how to restore oneness and trust. I learned best what it is to judge falsely in being judged as the cause of my husband's banishment from Baba's ashram. All the evidence pointed to my guilt, however all those who saw me as guilty never gave me a chance to at least give my side of the story. No one heard Sai Baba say, “Yaani is guilty.” It showed me how easy it is to draw false conclusions and how damaging those false conclusions can be. I am grateful for that rich experience. Do you judge yourself? I used to, but that went with seeing all as equally precious children of God, created whole, complete and innocent for all eternity. What is the purpose for judging? It is ego that wants us to misperceive and judge others as different from who they are, because ego thrives on judgment, guilt and punishment. All judgment maintains separation and all separation is due to alliance with ego. Judgment is a symptom of not seeing everyone as our perfect equals. We can only unite when we stop judging, and we can only stop judging when we accept that we are all the same in God's eyes.

How do we see the world through the eyes of judgment? By seeing it as full of evil, injustices, guilt… We see in the world what we do not want to look at in ourselves. How do we see the world through the eyes of non-judgment? By seeing it as a place that needs healing and that can be healed when we expect miracles. How do you look upon the world? I see a lot of suffering in the world and send light out to the world, praying constantly for the uplift of all humanity and holding a vision of peace and plenty for all. I believe that the world can be saved, even instantly when enough of us want the world restored to the one God created and know that real world to be possible. This world can be transformed in the twinkling of an eye, because it is not real. As long as it is judged as bad or guilty we make it real and keep the door to the real world closed. As long as we say it does not exist therefore it does not have to be saved, we make it real through the power of denial.

Does ego judge? Yes, it judges in terms of threat or non-threat to itself. Our judgments may tear families apart. This creates much heartache for all concerned, but would not be a threat to ego, so ego stealthily encourages us to judge harshest those nearest and dearest. How do we overcome judgmental tendencies? By judging ego and seeing it as the cause of all our misperceptions. Once we see the cause of the problem, we have uncovered the solution as well. Are we really in a position to judge others? No, because we do not have the big picture, we do not know the past or future of anyone, therefore are not in a position to draw conclusions one way or other.

Have we all judged ourselves guilty? Yes. Of what? Of being unkind to each other. Is this cause for punishment? No, we need merely want to be kind and loving now and willing to let the past go. It is ego that has caused us to have a different purpose than God gave us for each other. God created us to increase each other's joy. Now we must relinquish ego that we may find ourselves spontaneously knowing how to enhance each other's joy in purity, holiness, and unity.

If you see corruption in the workplace how do you refrain from judging? If there is corruption, it is not a judgment to call it same, it is a fact. True seeing would see that corruption is a mistake that warrants correction. If I inspire reform, I am not judging but rather am demonstrating love and trust in humanity. Are you judging if you condone unrighteous behavior? Yes, if you overlook the behavior, it may mushroom and if you have not lifted a finger to stop it, you are in effect the cause of the problem, because you are judging the imperfect as perfect and thereby making the error real. Are you judging if you condemn the behavior? Yes, if you sever communications or react with anger or hatred, again you make the error real. Both to condemn and to condone make error real. Only inspiring correction demonstrates the unreality of error.

When is judgment a problem? When used to reject, punish, exclude, separate…Please give some examples. Muslim fanatics judge the world as heathen and want to destroy all those who don't believe as they do. They draw erroneous conclusions like ‘because you don't believe as we do you are wicked,' based on inconclusive evidence. This is an example of faulty judgment based on false or insubstantial information. Obviously, all those who do not conform to the Muslim religion are not wicked. How are obviously erroneous conclusions drawn? Alliance with ego is the cause of narrow-mindedness, bigotry and prejudice. Ego wants us to hate each other so it can prevail while we kill each other for no reason what so ever and then feel guilty and come back to play out negative karma, assuring ego's continuance at out expense. The solution is to see ego as the cause of the problem and to unite in shining our egos away. Its only a wrong thought and thoughts can be changed. Even if a Muslim doesn't want to cooperate, as long as you and I unite, and send love and light to all our brothers and sisters whatever they believe, our united efforts will offer a better way and others will take note and soon, even the fanatics will see that unity is in their best interest. Every problem has a solution when we turn to Spirit. How does judgment lead to justifying the unjustifiable? When we judge others to be who they are not, we give ourselves permission to treat them in ways that are not in keeping with who God created them to be. The Nazis gave themselves permission to treat Jews despicably by convincing themselves that Jews were subhuman. Whites in the South espoused a similar justification for their ill-treatment of Blacks, and before Blacks, of Native Americans.

When is non-judgment a problem? When it is passive and used to enable corruption, evil, unkindness… Once I was in a room with a fanatical man who was laying into me for not supporting his position. Had any of those others present spoken up in my defense, he would have chewed them out on the premise that they were judging him. He was misapplying the teachings to protect his distortions. Had any spoken out it would have been an act of true non-judgment for in remaining silent they were condoning a heartless dictator, and that requires judgment. Sai Baba specifically sent me to this teacher who taught everything backward. I learned a great deal about how mind allied with ego operates and am very grateful. Is non-judgment passive? No, being passive in the face of injustice is not non-judgment. How should we respond? We should meet evil with good, willing to fearlessly take a stand in the face of injustice, sending love and employing non-violent resistance. I stood up and whispered softly in the man's ear so as not to shame him in front of others, “You are out of integrity.” Subsequently, I wrote him a letter expressing my disappointment. I did not choose to remain passive in the face of injustice. Is indiscriminately condoning all behaviors non-judgment? Big NO. Is it OK to do whatever you like as long as you don't judge it? Of course not. This absurd conclusion comes from listening to ego's misapplication of the idea to give up all judgment. We are responsible for all our actions and we do get the results of our own minds. If we turn over a new leaf today, however, all our past is wiped away without needing to make amends for it.

Are some people guilty? We are all innocent, for nothing we have done could take away our innocence, as that was given us by God for all eternity. Do you think of anyone as guilty? No, to see anyone as guilty requires judgment and condemns both of us. Can you be innocent while you see guilt in another? No. How should we respond to inappropriate behavior? We should want mistakes corrected for the sake of restoring joy, peace and happiness to all concerned. If bizarre behavior produces irritability or anger, that would be a red flag that you are misperceiving. What happens when you condone actions that are not in alignment with truth? That requires judgment, for to do so is to judge someone to be different from who God created them to be, perfect, and you are an enabler thereby.

Is it a judgment to be honest and call someone on their stuff? No, but it may not always be appropriate. I have a girlfriend who requested me to do just that for her, and she very much appreciates my honesty. Is it effective? Generally it is better to keep quiet unless you really feel a nudge from Spirit, because most people don't appreciate having error pointed out to them. In that instance it is better to lead a life of integrity yourself and let your example do the work. How do you know when another is out of integrity? When they act hostile, guilty, suspicious, defensive. To truly assess any situation requires a pure heart. First be the purity and holiness God created you to be. First work on yourself, then see if there is still a problem with others, and see whether you are responding or reacting.

If someone commits a murder, all the evidence proves that he committed the crime, and even he has admitted to the charges, how do you respond and still maintain his innocence? I have a duty to protect society. I do not want him to be a danger to himself or others. I want him rehabilitated so that he knows that he only serves his best interests when he leads a life of love for everyone. I do not want him punished, for punishment cannot bring back the dead, nor will it serve the convicted. He must be educated to change his mind about who he is. I would send him to a correctional facility where he would be expected to work for his sustenance, taught anew the preciousness of all life and that being a loving, upstanding individual is in his very best interest. He is not guilty, because he is a holy precious child of God, no matter what he may have done, but he is wrong and he is responsible. This, I would endeavor to communicate.

What is the cause of a critical mind? Being critical of others is an attempt at tearing another down to build ourselves up. Of course this is ego's voice for how to be better than others, which in turn sustains separation. This tendency is overcome in accepting that we are all equal as God created us. Are there people in your life greater than you? We go through life giving our power away to others outside of us; parents, teachers, healers, leaders… because we think they are superior. When we support and encourage others only on the basis of their character while at the same time remembering for everyone that they are precious children of God, equal with us in every way, regardless of what they may or may not have done we are practicing non-judgment. We must inspire noble character for their sake and not condemn a person on the basis of their skin color, nationality… How is making an idol a judgment? If we set someone up as the savior, as Christians have done to Jesus, we give our power away to someone outside of us to do for us what only we can do for ourselves. Is there a way to feel separate from others without judgment? No, judgment is the underlying cause of all ideas of separation and separation is overcome by uniting.

When are beliefs judgments? When they are not true. What are some such beliefs? Jesus died for your sins, God judges, some people are guilty, ACIM is the best, some people are greater or less than others… When are beliefs not judgments? When they are true. What are some of those beliefs? God does not judge, all people are innocent, God created everyone equal, heaven is a state of mind, with God all things are possible, the world can be saved…

Did God create us perfect? Yes. Did He change His mind? No. Did we change ours? Yes. Do you want to be perfect as God created you? Yes. Where does the idea of being different from how we were created come from? A thought of lack which resulted in the making of ego. Ego encourages us to be different from how we were created to assure its survival at our expense.

Does perfection require judgment? No, though the imperfect may judge the perfected ones as arrogant. Why is perfection judged? The voice for ego wants us to resist perfection so will urge us to find fault with the perfect. Will the perfect judge those who are not perfect? If they do, they are certainly not perfect! The perfected ones never think of themselves as greater than others and only want everyone to be pure for their sake, not from a place of competition or superiority. Can perfection lead to arrogance? Only if you think yourself better than others. Is it hard to be around someone who is perfect? No, because they are perfect love and know everyone's innocence. Sai Baba is perfect and His perfect love is so yummy! It is difficult only if you do not want to be holy and refuse to accept holiness to be in your best interest. Is it arrogant to be perfect? No, it is simply choosing who we are as God created us.

Is it good to expect perfection of yourself and others? Yes, as that is where true joy lies. However we have to balance that expectation with not feeling guilty for actions that fall short of our objectives. God expects perfection of us as He created us perfect, but that means that we should always respond with love and kindness to all situations, including errors and when we fall short we should renew our efforts and not beat ourselves up for our failings. We should aspire to perfection and inspire perfection in others for the joy that perfection offers, rather than to be holier or better than anyone. Is it possible to err and still be perfect? Yes, as error does not adversely affect our perfection, however the only way to feel pure is to strive to our maximum capacity for excellence and to correct our mistakes. Does tolerating imperfection require judgment? Yes, it means that we judge ourselves and others to be other than the perfection God created us all to be. Still it is also good to have forbearance and patience with others shortcomings as well as our own. No spiritual practice is required to be the perfection God created us to be. All we have to do is want to be perfect and we are given all the support from the angels on high. God created us perfect and He did not change His mind. Therefore we are perfect now, and only our judgment to the contrary keeps that from being our experience.

Does God judge? No. Does God punish the wicked? No, we judge and condemn ourselves and others too, not God. Does God expect perfection? Yes. Does that require judgment? No, for God knows who we are and is not confused. Do we judge God? Yes, God has been judged as judgmental, vengeful, wrathful, punishing, domineering, authoritarian, out of reach, for abandoning us… All these ideas about God give an impression of separation from God, yet God created us equal and one with Him for all eternity.

Are we ever in a position to judge anyone? No, we undoubtedly do not have enough information to make sound judgments about anyone or anything. What is prejudice? Judgment based on superficial or unfounded information like: Some races, religions, nations, peoples, communities, clubs, groups, tribes, clans… are superior to others. We are all equal, as we were all created equal by God. It is ego that causes us to convince ourselves of difference, better than, less than… Can you see inequality and not judge? No, all comparisons involve judgment. Can you think God creator without judging Him as superior? Yes, as the truth is God created His creations equal with Him, and when we understand this, we will stop judging God and others.

What is good use of judgment? Judging where we slip into judgment, discerning the real from the unreal, using judgment to heal and protect, using judgment to inspire perfection in ourselves and others. If we refrain from judging, how do we respond to hurtful behavior? By asking Spirit to show us how not to enable. We should not want to encourage hurtful behavior through passivity on the premise that we are not judging. We must employ non-violent resistance to injustice.

Is it a judgment to call something off when it is off? No, it is merely stating the fact. What do you do if you aim for the bull's eye and miss? You muster up your self-confidence, determination, perseverance... and try again. How does it feel when you hit your target? Terrific! How is it the same for mistakes? If we make a mistake it is like missing the bull's eye and rather than judge ourselves as bad, we need merely keep trying till we get it right. What is the spiritual bull's eye? The willingness to be who God created us to be, namely pure, holy, noble, virtuous, loving, kind… If someone misses the bull's eye would you tell them they hit it? No, for that is a lie. It takes courage to be honest yet loving and diplomatic. Sometimes its ok to say they hit when they missed, if only to encourage and support, depending on the nature of the error.

Is it a judgment to see yourself a sinner? Yes, as long as we think we can sin, we are judging ourselves to be different from how God created us. What is your experience with those who hold this belief? They act defensive, take license, feel helpless or victimized while being victimizers, feel forces outside of them to be the cause of their errors, shirk self-responsibility and do not speak or act with integrity.

Did Jesus die for sins? No. Did Jesus teach perfection? Yes. Can one be both perfect and need salvation from sins? No. Can one be perfect and make mistakes? Yes. Does correction of mistakes restore perfection? Yes. The point is…? That you cannot both have someone die for your sins and be perfect. The two ideas are mutually exclusive and that means the whole premise for Christianity as it is taught today is false. It is not what Jesus taught.

Is it ok to believe Jesus is your savior? Yes, as long as you follow his teachings and do not look to him to do for you what only you can do for yourself. Only we can save ourselves, no one outside of us has the power, for we were created free. If we lead lives of selfless service, non-judgment, unconditional love… we are following the way Jesus set out for us. Jesus is the way through his life of noble character, courage and uncompromising determination. When we find his life an inspiration and follow in his footsteps, we are saving ourselves.

What is the last judgment? The last judgment means we will stop judging, and when we stop judging we will stop inflicting punishment on ourselves and each other and will see a world transformed back into the real world of peace, joy and love for all, free of judgment. The world will be uplifted into the Golden Age, the end of the world as we know it, the end of suffering. Will God destroy the world? No, God does not judge, God only blesses and loves all unconditionally.

"There is only one religion, the religion of LOVE." Sai Baba