January 15, 2024
Question: How do we deal with someone who considers himself to be an enemy? Do we have to bend and show weakness, let him enjoy our downfall a little more? If I am excellent in my work and someone is jealous, is it not like tempting others, like showing the jewel to the neighbor?
Swami Venkatesananda: You are approaching the question from a wrong, an impossible angle. You do not know for certain what the other person thinks or does. Turn the question upon yourself: Are you considering yourself his enemy? Are you excelling him in order to make him jealous? If not, be yourself. He will come right. In any case, it is his business.
Some people have friends who love them and enemies who hate them. Some lucky people have friends who love them and enemies who sympathize with them. Some others have enemies who despise them and friends who dislike and disapprove of them.