We hear much about tolerance. All of us who deem ourselves good people, also presume ourselves to be tolerant. Scratch a little below the surface, however, and we may find ourselves not quite as tolerant as we imagined. Perhaps our version of tolerance is to outwardly say nothing, while inwardly we grit our teeth and fume.
True tolerance is a very difficult, demanding, but fruitful discipline.
Intolerance is a manifestation of our egoism, our self-centeredness. So reducing our intolerance, lightens our spiritual burden and removes obstacles. As with all issues of how we relate to people, we work from the inside out, beginning with ourselves, then our family and loved ones, then others toward whom we are neutral, and finally those toward whom we bear antipathy. And as with all sources of disharmony in ourselves, the healing of our intolerance comes gradually through clear seeing. We cannot shed our intolerance before we are ready, but we can prepare for that by seeing it operate in us.