A mother contacted a spiritual school to tell the headmaster that she would be dropping off one of her daughters, the studious one, for spiritual courses. She contacted another spiritual school to likewise drop off her other daughter, the sluggish one, but for spiritual discipline.
The mother ran into some scheduling problems and had her sister drop them off instead, only she dropped them off at the wrong schools along with the wrong records. The headmaster for spiritual courses read the records of the studious daughter not knowing that the sluggish daughter had arrived, informing the teachers of the studious daughter’s arrival so as to prepare them.
Likewise, the headmaster for spiritual discipline read the records of the sluggish daughter not knowing that the studious daughter had arrived, informing the teachers of the sluggish daughter’s arrival so as to prepare them.
The very first day, the sluggish daughter insulted her teachers and every fellow student that reached out to her. At the end of the first day, they informed the headmaster of the arrogant words used by the daughter and their concerns. “She is only testing us. Her records have many recommendations of her good spiritual behavior. Overlook her actions and show her nothing but kindness.”
The very first day, the studious daughter humbled herself and showed wisdom and kindness to her teachers and every fellow student that reached out to her. At the end of the first day, they informed the headmaster of the excellent behavior of the daughter and their delight. “She is only deceiving you. Her records show that she received great punishment for her bad behavior. Interpret everything she says and does as evil no matter how good it looks.”
This went on during the entire semester. The studious daughter forgave them every time and returned home much more spiritually mature. And the sluggish one laughed at them every time until the last day. She broke down and cried because she had never been treated so well. She returned home a studious daughter.
You can imagine how guilty the teachers who judged the studious daughter felt when they learned of what happened, and how foolish the teachers who showed such kindness to the sluggish daughter felt. But it was the headmasters who learned the most. They learned that they were spiritually blind and resigned or at least tried to. For the communities insisted they stay after hearing of the glowing letters from the mother, stating that they were both miracle workers.
You can imagine how lucky they felt when they found someone who could secretly teach them how to see again with their spiritual eyes, saving them much embarrassment. But instead of keeping it secret, they made every teacher, student and everyone else in their communities aware of what had happened. For the secret of learning how to see spiritually is to make everyone else more important than ourselves in our heart first, where this story obviously took place.
Two Daughters, Two Schools Revisited
Spirituality and Democracy — A series of four articles covering the teaching on restoring the spirit and mind.
The Eyes of Democracy (Introduction and Index of Articles)
See what is unseen, hear what is unheard. Spiritual perception is paradox.