Don’t be a garbage bin

[1]

Sri Rameshji Jain [1]

Everybody in this world is carrying loads and loads of garbage in their heads and looking for opportunity to dump it on others. The garbage is of disappointments, irritation, failures, frustration, miseries, ego etc.

Not only should we consciously reduce our own garbage, we should ensure that we do not allow others to dump their garbage on us. Not allowing others to dump their garbage on us means not taking offence at other people’s remarks, behaviour, actions and negative reactions.
We must try to safeguard our inner peace and balance. Somebody rightly said that 10 per cent of life is what we make and 90 per cent is how we take.
One day I was travelling in a taxi to go to the airport.
As the taxi was proceeding through the parking lot, a black limousine suddenly drove in reverse through the parking space and came right in front of the taxi.
The taxi driver slammed the brakes, skidded and missed the black limousine just by a couple of inches! The driver of the limousine whipped his head around and started yelling and abusing the taxi driver.
The taxi driver kept his cool and did not get into an altercation with the limousine owner. He almost apologised for no fault of his own and said he was sorry for all that happened, assuring the limousine owner that he will take care in future.
The taxi driver was driving his taxi properly, in the right lane and at the right speed. It was the fault of the limousine owner who suddenly drove his vehicle in reverse without looking back.
Amazed at the taxi driver’s apologetic attitude despite the fact that he was not at fault, I asked him, “Why did you do that? Why did you apologise? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!”
He said, “Sir, most people carry a truckload of garbage in their heads. The garbage is of frustration, irritation, dissatisfaction and disappointments — they run around in life with this truckload of garbage within them. As their garbage piles up, they search for somebody on whom this garbage can be dumped. I have decided not to give any space to such people to dump their garbage on me. I avoid altercation, argument and avoid justification too, to prove myself right. I apologise, even when I am not wrong, smile, wave and wish them well and move on with my routine life. I avoid spoiling my day and avoid taking their garbage on me and spreading it on other people.”

Sri Rameshji Jain is a modern age spiritual guru and founder of Poorna Ananda, a Centre for Spiritual Evolution and Joyful Living.