Editor
There was a study done in the 1960s which illustrates the nature of left-sided, right-sided and centred tendencies in children. The study, called “The Marshmallow Test”, was intended to shed light on the nature of emotional self-control. Initiated by the psychologist Walter Mischel, the study involved a number of four-year-old children.
Each child had a marshmallow put down in front of them. They were allowed to eat the marshmallow when the experimenter left the room, but if they waited until his return, they could have two marshmallows! The experimenter then left for up to twenty minutes. A number of the children were simply unable to hold out, and ate the single marshmallow. Others, however, were able to delay eating it, in favour of having the double treat upon the experimenter’s return.
What was remarkable, however, was that, twelve to fourteen years later, the children who were unable to hold out had developed many traits of the left side. They tended to shy away from social contacts, to be indecisive, to be easily upset by frustrations, to see themselves as unworthy, and to still be unable to put off self-gratification.
Of the children who resisted the temptation of the single marshmallow, we find two distinct groups: those whom we would call right-sided; and those who were more centered. Those of the right side, when tracked down in adolescence, were characterised by self-assertiveness; they embraced challenges, pursued goals, were quick to take the initiative and were often aggressive. Those who were of the centre, who were also able to withstand temptation in the Marshmallow Test, were characterised as self-reliant, confident, trustworthy and dependable.
Where the left-sided child is simply unable to resist, and the right-sided child has to exercise strong self-control, the centred child remains detached, distancing himself or herself for as long as is required, doing so with little effort. Such a child neither implodes nor explodes in the face of difficulty, but responds to it with an appropriate attitude that best serves themselves and those around them.
Brian Bell
A poet named Soordaas lived in India a few centuries ago. He was blind. Soordaas worshipped Lord Krishna. Even though he was blind, it was always his wish and faith that one day he would see Lord Krishna.
One day while walking in the village where he lived, he became disoriented and as a result he fell into a well. Being a wise man, he recognised his predicament and that he was likely to drown in the well. As he floated in the water he started to pray to his beloved Lord Krishna, saying, “O Lord, I am not worried about dying, but my desire to have Your Darshan will not be fulfilled in this life.”
A voice called from above the well, “Hold my hand and I will pull you out of the well.” Soordaas held on to the offered hand and was pulled out of the well.
Soordaas’s benefactor said, “Now that you are out of the well and you are safe, please let go of my hand”. Soordaas replied, “No, Lord Krishna, this is not an ordinary human who can reach into the well to save me. This can only be My Lord Whom I have been seeking all my life. I will not let go till I have your Darshan.” Thus the devotion and complete surrender of Soordaas was rewarded with Lord Krishna’s Darshan (Divine presence).
Avtar Sodhi
Kabir Sahib, otherwise known as “The Weaver Saint of Benares”, lived in Northern India between the years 1380 and 1460. He is considered by many to be one of the greatest mystics of all times. His verses, hymns and compositions are almost universally known in India, where they are sung with great love and devotion to this day.
He was extremely outspoken in his opposition to the folly and futility of the external religious practices adopted by both Hindus and Muslims. Despite that, he was revered and respected by the followers of both faiths.
He was held in high esteem by his contemporaries. Two of his disciples were Raja Vir Singh and Shah Ibrahim Adham, king of Bokhara. The latter, keen on his spiritual search, learned about Kabir at Kashi. Being accepted as one of Kabir’s disciples was not, however, an easy task for the King, who repeatedly begged Kabir for the invaluable gift of Initiation.
In the beginning, Kabir was reluctant to grant that boon, because he was very conscious of the fact that, as a monarch, Ibrahim would have a great sense of self-importance, and this trait is not desirable in a person who intends to tread the Spiritual Path. So, Kabir turned down his repeated requests. Finally, Kabir agreed to initiate the King on the condition that he would consent to work for him as a servant. Can you imagine the pride the King must have had to swallow in order to agree to be the servant of a poor weaver? But the King’s thirst for knowledge was such that he agreed to such a condition.
After the King spent six years performing menial tasks, Kabir put him to a test, intended to establish if he had lost his self-importance. The King failed the test miserably. Kabir then decided that the King was still not humble enough to deserve the boon of initiation. So, he prolonged the probation period by another six years. After that, the King was finally initiated into the Royal Path of God realization.