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Criticism By Paramahansa Yogananda Written circa 1928-1930

When criticized, analyze thyself. Take a thorough look at thy life’s activities. Through the uncompromising eyes of they censors, survey and criticize thyself. If thou dost find fault in thyself, correct it quietly and walk on. If thou dost not find in thyself the fault whereof thou art accused, smile within and go on thy way in stoic dignity. If persecutors continue to jeer at thee and demand a response, answer with love, not enmity.

If thou dost hold a position in which others look to thee for light, answer or battle for truth with love in thy heart, not for thine honor or for fear of a bad name, but to uphold the glory and purity of truth. Let thine actions and words be not for the sake of victory, nor for shaming others, nor to feed thy vanity, but only for truth.

Love for truth, however, must always be tempered with the love of avoiding hurt to others. Defamation of others in the name of spreading truth, or for the sake of one’s own benefit is a sign of ego and inner weakness, a desire to make oneself appear taller by cutting off the heads of others.

Fight not, even for truth, if love is not in thy heart; hatred cannot be conquered by hatred; meanness cannot be overcome by meanness. If in the guise of defending “truth,” hatred or vengefulness, or an inflated ego precipitates in thy heart a desire to battle thy detractors, forsake the fight.

First culture love. Love is thy strength and thy greatest ally. Its salve will heal the wounds inflicted by the hatred of thine enemies; and love is never defeated. Even death in the attempt to conquer hatred is love’s victory for the immortal soul.

Those who hate and revile thee are not knowers of truth. Forgive them, for in their ignorance they know not what they do. As thou dost love to forgive thyself no matter what thou hast done, love to forgive others as readily.

To those who criticize thee and wrongly accuse thee, knowingly and deliberately, give love unflinchingly. Let them be shamed by the steady gift of thy love in return for the poison they gave unto thee. Try to change them by thine unconditional love.

No one who knows the love of God can hate or express meanness to any of His children. How canst thou hate or hurt thine own erring brothers? Hateful or loving, they are still thine own. Brothers who act out of hate and spite know not that law.

If thou hatest them in return, thou wilt drown them in the flood of hatred. Rather, show them the lighthouse of love that they might swim ashore. Let thy love tell them of the ignorance of their erring ways. Show them the example that thou lovest them in spite of their hatred.

Blessed are those who are criticized for doing good. A paradise of eternal bliss is theirs who live and die in right behavior. But woe unto them who out of jealousy, enmity, or self-interest malign and seek to harm the good name of those who are engaged I noble works. Sarcasm, slander, revengefulness, bias, untruth are poison shafts of evil that boomerang to inflict great karmic injury to the soul of the criticizer.

Unkind and unjust criticism causes inharmony and factions of partiality, bias, and rebellion. Supported by those who love gossip, it becomes a crucifixion of the soul of the innocent, more painful than the crucifixion of the body. The love of gossip is the love to crucify the soul of others. But though gossip, lies, and slander hurt the criticized, they ultimately hurt the criticizer even more. The wrongly criticized becomes purer than ever, while the wicked accusers are condemned by the unfailing karmic law of cause and effect. In addition, they are convicted by their own conscience and condemned to live in a self-created prison-house of painful lack of inner peace.

Those who sow error will reap the harvest of delusion and misery. The divine way is to judge thyself, not others. Unless thou doest thine own housecleaning, thou has no right to tell others their houses are unclean.

If others sincerely ask thee for thine opinion, then judge them not with bias or personal aim, but with impartial love, and give them thy loving suggestions. No compromise with wrong acts. No mere pitying the wrongdoer. No unkind criticism of the transgressor. But tutor the error-stricken with unfathomable love. Say unto thy brother, “My heart bursts for the suffering caused to thee by thine own wrong actions. Mend thy ways. I love to see thee well.” True words may be hurtful and bitter, so coat them with the sugar of love and kindness that they may be more easily swallowed by the one stricken with the fever of evil. But if thy views are not welcome, maintain silence. Mentally send to the wrongdoer constructive thoughts, love, and prayers – without spoken words – for that is also beneficial and will help to awaken him.

He who is down needs not to be trampled on. He needs thy lifting hands of love. Think of others’ woes as thine own and thou wouldst feel for all. Unkind criticism is a torturing enemy that delights in the downfall of others. Love is a saving friend that rejoices in others’ happiness and well-being.

To offer criticism – even constructive criticism – is risky; but to be able thyself to stand criticism is of great benefit. It tests and reinforces thine armor of truth for use in the battle of life. Those who lovingly judge thee are thy best friends. Those who flatter thy faults are thy worst enemies. To receive impartial criticism is to tune in with the law of progress. But to succumb to flattery is to poison both material and spiritual advancement.

Harp not on the sins of others, neither on thine own – forgive and forget past error. Give no life and form to thine own or others’ errors. Do not speak of others’ faults. Never write about them or make them public. Do not engage in or repeat rumors and gossip. Do not make an untruth inmortal by talking about it, by sounding thine own trumpet in the chorus of dissent. And do not draw personal conclusions and give voice to them when thou art not in a position to understand all sides.

Be busy in making thyself good. Thine example would talk a million times louder than words.

Counteract criticism by humbly living the principles of truth. Reform thyself; and by watching thine example, let others be inspired to reform themselves. That is what is wanted and needed in this world: those who are criticizers of themselves, not others.

Conquer vice by virtuous example, error by truth, hatred by love, ignorance by wisdom, fear by courage, narrow-mindedness by understanding, bigotry by liberality. Let these virtues begin with thyself. Be attentive to thine own mental housecleaning, and perchance others will be encouraged to get busy doing the same for themselves.