Perception and Maturation

     "When a thief sees a saint, all he sees are his pockets."                  Sufi saying

      Let's be honest, reading about saints, especially from a different culture, we tend to quickly disconnect. We fancy ourselves as modern intellectuals, with little if anything in common with mysticism from the "dark ages". And anyway, we certainly would not be fixated on a person's pockets - would we?

     Isn't "objectifying women" about seeing them only as sexual objects? Are men the only ones guilty of this?? Don't we all, in our fame- & wealth-obsessed "culture", routinely objectify celebs from rock stars to politicians, pro athletes, CEOs etc - seeing them only as superhero- or down-and-out cartoon characters? What about objectifying even our friends and loved ones according to what they "should" do for us?

     As we slowly mature past self-centered neediness, our perspective changes radically. It can take a lifetime to come to feel comfortably at home in our own skin, at home in the world. Many of us will never get there, "always busy" chasing after and running from stuff till the very end. But for those of us that do mature into conscious, open-hearted human beings, personal needs, wants, and even preferences become minimal, while generosity dominates. 

     “Now I can look at you in peace; I don't eat you anymore.” Franz Kafka

Gandhi's belongings   from: http://www.ruraluniv.ac.in/gallery%20of%20gandhi.htm