Perception : Judge not that I not be judged

I had two encounters with perception, rather how I can jump to a conclusion which is totally wrong.

The first incident happened in Lumbini during the Drikung 2003 monkey year teachings. We were in the common mess ground with many local kids who came to revel in the atmosphere of the teachings as well as for some free food. I saw a fellow Malaysian lady travel companion fished into her handbag, took out a couple of coffeemate sticks and offered them to some of the local kids. She proceeded to ask the kids to rip open the packet and eat them.


I was a little shocked as the coffemate came with the airline food handout. Shocked because I could not imagine anyone eating coffeemate by pouring them into their mouths, let alone anyone thinking of offering coffeemate to kids. I believed them to be unhealthy. In fact, I was so taken aback that I remarked that it was not a good thing to do.


Know what? Later I saw this same lady opening another stick of coffemate and eating it herself. This gave me a thorough lesson in perception and unfairly judging others. If I had thought that this lady was not being very kind in giving away coffemate to kids, I was wrong in judging her. She had in all kindness offered the kids, because to her, coffemate is a treat.

Another incident happened recently. I was in Yushu, a remote town in Qinghai, where I saw four monks sitting in a street corner chanting and drumming along with a hat for offerings in front of them.


I thought this to be unbecoming of monks to ‘beg’ this way. I did not make an offering but strangely gave some to another group a short distance away.

I was left somewhat ashamed when I later learnt that recently many monks who were studying or abiding in monasteries were turned out when the Chinese government changed the rules limiting the number of monks in monasteries. Most refused to disrobe as they preferred to be monks. Some had relatives to support them while others had to look for other ways of continuing their monkhood. Thus the seeking of alms in the fashion I saw.

Once again I was too quick to pass judgment based on narrow views and ignorance.