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INVITATION TO INQUIRY

The Supreme Court of the Mind

Comparison and judgment are two aspects of what Gangaji calls the “powers of mind”. Indeed they are very powerful for they often keep us from being still and experiencing directly the truth of who we are. The mind is a wonderful thing with many abilities and is often called our greatest ally and worst enemy. Looking through the lens of Inquiry, a question naturally arises. Who or what is it that observes the mind?

Many of us find that we judge others while comparing and judging ourselves. A dear friend has a saying; “remember when a finger is pointed at another there are three fingers pointing back at you.” Judgment of others or ourselves is often relentless. As with all Inquiry, there are always two parts. One part will be expressed and one part repressed. In the case of judgment of another, we project onto someone and then feel free to comment on the projection as if is true. What is also present is the repressed self-judgment that is hidden from others and often hidden from ourselves. It is as if the Supreme Court lives in our heads and has the power to punish us for simply existing.

Many of us are unfailingly kind to others. We give other people the benefit of the doubt and assume that
any problem that arises is ours. Self-judgment often takes the form of comparison and with it comes a litany of self-blame. I’m not good enough, tall enough; thin enough, rich enough, smart enough. What do they think of me? Why did I say that? I’m stupid and on and on. We label ourselves and then believe we are the label. What is operating here is a presupposition that we are not all right as we are. For many the judging came in childhood because we were trained by families, schooling, peers and the media to assume something is wrong with us and we need to be fixed. Consider for a moment that you are not broken. The internal dialogue can also takes the form of censoring what we say and feel because the mind prejudges the content as wrong or not good enough. For some people the fear of what others will think of us creates this inner censor. The self-talk of the mind removes us from the direct experience of now, including who we are right now in this moment.

Exercise on self-judgment
Choose a situation where you habitually judge and label yourself..

1. By believing this label what do I create?
2. By believing this label what is not created?
3. Imagine yourself without the label notice how you feel.
4. Put the label on and notice how it feels.
5. Practice putting the label on and taking it off several times
6. Who is it that takes the label on and off?
7. How does the label seem now?

I will leave you with a quote “ Be who you are and say what you feel

"Those who mind don’t matter
And those who matter don’t mind”

- Dr. Suess

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