In community life, there are always occasions when differences of opinion lead to fault-finding. Turiyananda noticed this in the ashrama community, and remarked one day: “We are like dogs in glass houses, barking at our own reflections. We see another’s sushupti [deep sleep], not our own. We should be strict with our faults and lenient with the faults of others.”
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One day a monk arranged a feast at his cottage and invited other mendicants. Swami Gangananda went there and later told Turiyananda about the greediness of an old monk. Turiyananda scolded Gangananda: “Why are you criticizing that old monk? Your boat is in the middle of the turbulent river. Don’t see fault in others, rather see your own defects. He who sees fault in others is guilty.”
From the Life of Swami Ramakrishnananda
A person who sees faults in others does not realize that those faults are within. What is inside comes outside; fault-finding is very injurious to spiritual life. Shashi recalled:
The Master never condemned any man. He was ready to excuse everything. He used to tell us that the difference between man and God was this: If a man failed to serve God ninety-nine times, but the hundredth time served Him with even a little love, God forgot the ninety-nine times he had failed and would say, “Oh! My devotee served Me so well today.” But if a man served another man well ninety-nine times and the hundredth time failed in his service, the man would forget the ninety-nine good services and say, “That rascal failed to serve me one day.” If there was the least spark of good in anyone, Sri Ramakrishna saw only that and overlooked all the rest. (Source: God Lived with Them)