Habitually cultivating a “non-dual” viewpoint

My life is an indivisible whole, and all my attitudes run into one another; and they all have their rise in my insatiable love for mankind.
  – Mahatma Gandhi

“We should be able to make all sorts of graceful concessions on things that do not matter in life and yet stand unshakable on essentials”, says Sri Easwaran.

He warned that to do this, we have to be detached from our opinions. This does not mean we are to be wishy-washy, or lack strength in our convictions, but that we cultivate the forbearance not to force our opinions on others. It is like the adage I have heard recently:

“is it more important to be loving, or to be right?”

—perhaps one can be both!

When we have strength of conviction we will not get rattled when people question or contradict us. It does us absolutely no good at all to reply to questioning or contradiction in a defensive manner. This connotes weakness in ourselves.

Easwaran continues,”Mahatma Gandhi, for example, was not in favor of tea or coffee, but he would make a cup of tea for his wife each morning just the way she liked it. This is bending gracefully on nonessentials. When it came to essentials, however, Gandhi was unshakable. His dedication to nonviolence was so absolute that he would abruptly call off a successful nationwide program of noncooperation with the British if he heard any reports of violence committed by his countrymen, even those who did not acknowledge him as their leader.”

Maintaining a unitive viewpoint is as difficult a habit as I know of, because we are all intrinsically taught to value our own perspective or opinion. It requires forbearance[patience], self control, descent of the ego, kindness, selflessness, and above all, love for one’s neighbor.

It is indeed, more valuable to be loving; and, in loving, we are doing what is right.