Spiritual Portal

One of the most important qualities we strive for on this forum is tolerance. Without tolerance it is very difficult for people to get along personally and as a group. We have seen many people leave and arrive here because they are tolerant and many are not.

We may be able to sense and see the issues holding others back in their progress. Yet we know that forcefully confronting these issues will not help the situation. Tolerance also recognizes that people change and grow in their own time. Just like a flower opens its petals in its own time without the forceful intervention of others. At best we can water it and give it good soil and plant food with proper sunlite and some of us have the added gift of providing a suitable environment for growth. This is our gift as a friend to those around us.

This forum was not started with the intention of promoting one form of meditation or spiritual practice. It was started with the intention and realization that there are many ways to accomplish a goal and to say that one way is the best way is a kind of arrogance. We know that their are many temperments and many ways to solve problems with many approaches. Most of us here are sharing are ways with others while learning from the differences we have in our approaches. If we find each other straying from tolerance my humble suggetion is to remind each other in love and kindness. God is very tolerant (in my view) of us and so Gods example happens to be mine. Not everyones, but mine and it is the purpose of this thread.

i am humbled to think each person witnesses and interprets life through the shades of their very unique personality. we may think what we're saying makes sense or believe our words are justified but i find often times how i believe the other person to be registering my words or even body language versus how they are actually interpreting is most always not the same reality.

hazrat inayat khan and a couple sayings on tolerance:
"Love which manifests as tolerance, as forgiveness,
that love it is which heals the wounds of the heart. "

"Man proves to be genuine by his sincerity;
to be noble by his charity of heart;
to be wise by his tolerance;
to be great by his endurance throughout the continually jarring influences of life."

" He who expects to change the world will be disappointed; he must change his view. When this is
done, then tolerance will come, forgiveness will come, and there will be nothing he cannot bear. "

"The first sign of the realization of truth is tolerance. "

"Tolerance does not come by learning, but by insight; by understanding that each one should be
allowed to travel along the path which is suited to his temperament. "

"Forbearance, patience, and tolerance are the only conditions which keep two individual hearts
united"

"In order to learn forgiveness, man must first learn tolerance. "

"Tolerance is the sign of an evolved soul. A soul gives the proof of its evolution in the degree of
tolerance it shows. "

"As one evolves spiritually one rises above the tendency to intolerance, for the reason that one
begins to see God besides seeing oneself and another person, and so one unites oneself with the
other person in God. "

“The good human relationship is not something that develops between a group of people endowed with all qualities, but when each individual tolerates the shortcomings of others and recognizes their good qualities that we can build lasting relationships. Only if we are prepared to recognize others with all their faults and weaknesses will we be able to live together and happily. ”

Amma