Watch out!
A large rock falling from the sky!
Is it a meteor?
No, it is merely a large rock,
peacefully basking in a still pond.
Even a duck knows that.
Although the first image probably didn't fool many of you, where we stand, our perspective of an event, concept, object or person, often shapes and even skews our perception and all of the subsequent judgments we make. Our vantage point may lead us to highly accurate or inaccurate conclusions.
The Rev. Kenn Koizumi, in a recent Dharma talk at Pearl City Hongwanji described an interaction with his wife:
She: Doesn't the mold in the shower bother you?
He: Mold? What mold?
She: How can you NOT notice the mold in the shower?
He: Because when I take a shower, I don't wear my glasses. I don't see anything!
I frequently need to remind myself to try to understand the judgments of others. They are most likely seeing the world from a perspective somewhat different than my own. Does that make me right? Or are they right?