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There's a story of a monastery in China where the abbot had died, and left no heir. The monks were in disarray and their once orderly life was scattered to the winds and one became pitted against they other as they came to purse the post, each thinking he was most suitable for it. Finally at an assembled meeting sanity prevailed and they decided to let another party, the Abbot of a nearby monastery, decide who was suitable for the post, who was the better of all of them.

So a representative was sent and he asked, "Who should be the next abbot of our monastery?" the old master smiled and said, "I think that should be clear, one of you is awakened in their heart" and so he relayed this to his brethren.

They looked about in consternation, wondering who it was. Each saw the many faults in the other, smelt their odours, could see their flaws and all around saw no awakened one. So they began to talk, and one suggested, "What if they awakened one is disguising himself with some fault to avoid detection?"

So months went on, and each monk came to think if there was an awakened one then he was doing a very good job indeed of hiding himself. Finally another meeting was held, and one disciple suggested, "We've no found an awakened one by looking for his faults, what if we look for his beauty?"

They never did elect another abbot but lived in order and harmony forever after despite that.

It's easy to judge, and once we start, there's no end. The Act of judging is the act of sub dividing, right/ wrong, good/ bad, of imposing a condition of existence upon another human being.

I don't think any of us want that.

Learn more about this author, BT Cassidy.
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