A Compassionate Look at the Judging Mind
In almost all practices, becoming conscious of the judging mind is considered critical for most definitions of spiritual success. I think on a human basis, we can agree that a mind free of judgement is likely more at peace.
Unfortunately, as it is embedded in our nature, it seems that we cannot remove judgement from our minds.
Well, maybe not entirely.
We can, however, learn to work with this judgement and allow ourselves to become familiar with its tendencies in order to understand it.
Under the guise of the judging mind, thoughts fostered in anxiety, insecurity, and ignorance typically come to the surface. The judging mind, after all, is rooted in fear.
And we are judging, constantly.
It is important to understand that judgement is always going to arise, whether we want it to or not. Even if we choose to devote our lives to practicing mindfulness, the judging mind will likely still find us. Besides, not all judgements are of harmful intent.
It is also important for us to avoid sitting in judgement. We want to evaluate it, and move on. Our goal here is not to erase the judging mind, it is to learn how to work with it.
We tend to judge ourselves harshly. We are our own worst critics because we are constantly in the presence of our own consciousness. We are aware in moments when we cast judgement, and then we judge that judgement. We do this rather routinely, falling into a pattern of thinking that offers us little help in regards to solutions.
I think you’ll find that people who aren’t feeling particularly well on the inside often extend that energy outward. The only way to break out of this harmful mindset is to understand it as a whole, and embrace it at all angles.
We have pondered the idea of the self as both active and passive, realizing our role as the observer is equally as important as that of the executor. In this regard, we need to allow the judging mind to be processed through the eyes of the observer, without carrying out execution.
We don’t want to pass judgement, we want to understand judgement and, in most cases, dismiss it.
Judgment, at its root, needs to be accessed. If we are able to become conscious of our judgement, wherever it is aimed, we can look at it objectively. Instead of faulting ourselves for our judgements, we can learn to understand where they are coming from and focus on adapting more productive thinking patterns over all.
Our brains do not thrive in harsh conditions, and understanding our judgements can help create a more peaceful internal environment.
Like all growth, adopting a less harmful judging mind begins on a individual level. Once we are able to understand judgement in regards to ourselves, we are able to make the same adaptions in a social context.
It is important that we cherish our relationships to one another, as well. Once we understand that we are all navigating this universe for the first time, we are able to look at each other with a greater sense of compassion. It almost seems silly to pass judgement on another human being once this is considered.
We are all learning.
This knowledge does not coincide with our physical age, but instead aligns itself with our awareness and how much we have exercised it.
If we are able to work with elements of our consciousness, we are able to completely shift our way of thinking into a more healthy scope.
What is truly wonderful about this type of awareness is that is entirely transferable. Once we are able to work with it internally, expanding that awareness to cover external situations seems to be less challenging.
