Maulana Wahiduddin Khan I Times of India I April 3, 2010 | Page 16Some people have inherent special qualities that enable them to master all situations. Such individuals can, when they come to a gathering, win the hearts and minds of people simply by making an appearance there. It is said of them:"They came, they saw, they conquered."This kind of ability to win love is not the monopoly of extraordinary people. Any ordinary person also can win the hearts and minds of people, provided he knows the law of nature and can avail of it by the power known as the power of spirituality.According to the Creation Plan of God, all human beings have two different qualities: ego and conscience. The ego symbolises arrogance, and the conscience, modesty. For instance, there could be a difference of opinion between two individuals, A and B. A might enter into a heated exchange, refusing to give B due respect and honour. This kind of behaviour is bound to provoke B, who might try to teach A a lesson. A psychologist offers this analysis: "When one's ego is touched, it turns into super ego and the result is breakdown."In this case A presented a challenge to B and B's ego gained the upper hand due to arrogance. On the other hand, if, instead of getting provoked and acting out of ego, had B had opted for a compromise, or if A had restrained himself from provoking B in the first place, there would be no conflict.In all likelihood, greater understanding would enable better relations between A and B; they would no longer be rivals bent on outdoing the other. There is scope for friendship now where earlier, there was only ill feeling. When one's conscience is touched, it turns into super conscience and the result is complete surrender. [Highlight1] This formula is within our reach, and can be used quite successfully. However there are certain risks involved.There is every possibility that in a sensitive situation where the ego is involved, the other person becomes even more arrogant. He will react more aggressively. He will be more dangerous than before. But that is only if you allow the ego to become your master. The ego is a bad master but a good servant. Fear of a situation arising in which one is completely directed by the ego is unfounded, because when the ego gains predominance it is because of ignorance of the power of nature, or more precisely, the power of spirituality. So all one needs to do is to try and be less ignorant; to learn how to think positive and keep one's ego under control.According to nature if you challenge someone's ego, your success is doubtful but when you challenge someone's conscience, then your success is guaranteed by nature.People generally know the power of fighting but a wise man will tell you that the power of spirituality is greater than the power of either ego or conscience. At the time of a controversy, if you choose to fight, you will need arms but when you opt for the spiritual method, you don't need any arms. The power of positive behaviour can triumph over the power of negativity, while the power of negativity cannot win anything -- it can only lead to destruction.The choice is ours: To opt for positive, peaceful methods to create better understanding and oneness, thereby contributing to universal togetherness with compassion and surrender or to take a combative stand, giving the ego a free hand, causing unhappiness all around.
Related Articles
Article
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan I Times of India I May 4, 2010 | Page 16Confidence is good, but overconfidence is not. When you become overconfident, you tend to take great risks. If you fail, that might pull you down as it is…
Article
Soulveda | April 22, 2024
Herbert W. Armstrong (1892 – 1986), the founder of the well-known American magazine The Plain Truth, observed in one of his last articles that during his long professional life, he had…
Article
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan | The Sunday Guardian | Jun 23, 2019The American space shuttle; Challenger, built at a cost of one billion dollars, was launched into space on January 28, 1986. But just one minute after its lift…
Article
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan | The Sunday Guardian | August 21, 2016, p. 12Ego is an innate faculty of every human being and has a very important role to play in the personality of every man and woman. Ego is the source of…
Article
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan | The Sunday Guardian | January 03, 2016, p. 12"Evil can have no beginning but from pride nor any end but from humility."When the English author William Law (1686-1761) wrote these words, he…
Article
From the Quran we learn that man is born with two distinct and often opposing faculties: Nafs Ammara (12:53) and Nafs Lawwama (75:2). In today’s terminology they are more familiar to us as ‘ego’ and ‘conscience’.
In…