Transforming Rumors into Personal Strength

Rumor: A piece of unverified information of uncertain origin, usually spread by word of mouth. R=Rude; U=Unverified; M=Malicious; O=Oratory; R=Rant

This was something I created today in response to some ugly rumors floating around about me lately. I choose not to engage with rumors directly, allowing them to dissipate naturally without adding fuel to the fire. and thus give them more energy, I will let them die a sad death as they deserve.

I guess at some point in time, it happens to everyone. Even great souls get criticized, attacked, and sometimes even killed, so what to speak of insignificant souls like myself. So it is today that some unscrupulous people are creating crazy stories about me and my service to Food for Life. “Be gone”, you wretched fools and your verbal diarrhea”, I say.

These recent happenings remind me of the game of telephone, where a child will whisper in the ear of another child what they heard from the previous child in the circle until the story finds it way back to the source. As is often the case, the final story bears no resemblance at all to the original story and is often quite skewed, if not outrageously incorrect. Why does this happen? Simply because it is human nature to embellish, color and filter the information we receive. People often distort information to fit their biases, leading to rumors. This tendency can be transformed into awareness and understanding. into a preferred worldview, or acting out of lust, pride and or envy. Unless you’ve managed to transcend the trappings of this material world you’re prone to such tendencies.

I have already talked about knowledge filters and our tendency to process information through our chosen cultural, philosophical or social paradigms. So how does lust, pride and envy affect our ability to process and disseminate information?

LUST

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: It is lust only, Arjuna, which is born of contact with the material mode of passion and later transformed into wrath, and which is the all-devouring sinful enemy of this world. [BG 3.37]

When we accept a material existence, our pure intentions can transform into desires, affecting how we perceive and spread information., the natural sense of love of God becomes transformed into lust, as milk does when it is touched by something sour like tamarind and transformed into yogurt. When such lust is unsatisfied, it turns into wrath; wrath is transformed into illusion, and illusion entraps the soul further into material existence.

What we often think is love in this world, is really just lust and therefore it not only binds us to this material energy, but bewilders our sense of judgement.

PRIDE

Birth in an aristocratic family and the execution of austere and pious activities certainly cause one to take pride in himself. Similarly, if one enjoys a prestigious position within society because his parents are highly respected members of the varṇāśrama social system, one becomes even more infatuated with himself. But if despite these excellent material qualifications one does not feel even a tinge of pride within himself, he is to be considered the dearmost servitor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. [Srimad Bhagavatam 11.2.51]

Pride can distort our judgment, but recognizing this can transform pride into humility, enhancing our understanding and communication. and yet pride is a major stumbling block on the path of enlightenment. This flaw is especially prevalent in the hearts of those adorned with high birth, fame, riches, beauty, and intelligence. Such is the irony of this material world that what appears to be a blessing can in fact be a curse. When we act and speak out of pride, we lose touch with the inner voice of God. Nothing eternally beneficial to the soul can ever come from acting out of pride, neither to us nor those we hurt by such prideful actions.

ENVY

Persons who want to advance in superior religion are advised to give up all envy of other living entities, whether in relationship to the body, words or mind. There is no religion superior to this. [Srimad Bhagavatam 7.15.8]

Envy distorts our perception, but transforming envy into appreciation can foster positive relationships and personal growth., since the very basis of this condition is to think that somehow we are lesser then someone else or that that person is not deserving of some good fortune. Both assumptions are wrong in so many ways.

We are all spiritually equal in quality. The “Oneness” that is often talked about in spiritual circles refers to the quality of the soul and it’s innate Godliness. We are all of equal value in the eyes of God. So the idea that we are in some way inferior to another soul is ludicrous. Similarly, to suggest in words or action that another embodied soul is not deserving of some good karma is to deny them their divine right and also does not take into consideration that that soul has a history of accumulated karmic credit. In other words, when someone is born into aristocracy, it can be understood that that soul performed great austerity and pious activity in past lives. Their apparent “Good luck” therefore is really just a well deserved blessing. Unfortunately, we see that when such blessings do fall upon us, we become overwhelmed with pride and forget our true identity as a soul, and thus waste the good fortune in frivolous pursuits and entrap ourselves further in this material world.

Unless we are freed from a bodily concept of life and in touch with our true nature as a soul, there will always be a tendency to create and fuel rumors. Don’t be surprised then if you find yourself on the receiving end of an ugly rumor, or conversely, are in some way responsible for creating a rumor. It happens, so don’t give it air, but just allow it to fade away into the universe and stay focused on what is truly important in your life now. Besides, no one or no thing can ever hurt us unless we give them (it) permission to do so.

FAQ

Q: How can I effectively deal with rumors about me?

A: Focus on what truly matters and avoid giving energy to rumors. Let them fade away naturally by not engaging with them. Stay grounded in your values and priorities.

Q: Why do people spread rumors?

A: People spread rumors due to emotions like lust, pride, and envy, which can distort their perception and judgment. Rumors often stem from a desire to embellish or misinterpret information.

Q: What should I do if I hear a rumor about someone else?

A: Approach the situation with empathy and avoid spreading the rumor further. Consider the impact of your words and choose to focus on positive and constructive communication.