April 9, 2001
The Six Mistakes Of Man
Ø The illusion that personal gain is made up of crushing others.
Ø The tendency to worry about things that cannot be changed or corrected.
Ø Insisting that a thing is impossible because we cannot accomplish it.
Ø Refusing to set aside trivial preference.
Ø Neglecting development and refinement of the mind, and not acquiring the habit of reading and study.
Ø
Attempting to compel others to live as we do.
I came across this list several
months ago and was struck by how concise it was and accurate.
In reviewing these mistakes I must admit I have made them all at one time
or another. I would like to think
that I learn from my mistakes but being human means being challenged throughout
our lives, and often by the same things.
Take for example the second
mistake outlined. Just this past
week I faced my internal demons about prior disappointments in business.
It took me a few days to realize that life goes forward and the
present moment is all I have control over.
Besides, those “disappointments” have led me in wonderful new
directions. This is a recurring
challenge for me, but I’m working on it!
These six mistakes appear to
have meaning on several different levels. They
can apply to our work or school. Maybe
a few words might be changed, but the intent would still be the same.
Or maybe we can see how these same mistakes interfere with personal
relationships like family or marriage, thus keeping us from a fulfilling
experience. Could these same
mistakes be titled “Six Roadblocks To Awakening Your Soul” and become part
of our spiritual journey? I think they can which proves once again that our spiritual
growth cannot be separated from our daily activities like work or school or
building relationships. On the
surface our activities only seem less spiritual when we are not aware of
the connectedness in all we do.
What makes this list all the
more intriguing is the author. Marcus
Tullius Cicero who lived from 106 B.C. to 43 B.C. compiled these mistakes.
He was a Roman statesman and considered Rome’s greatest orator and its
most articulate philosopher. The
last years of Republican Rome are referred to as the Age of Cicero.
Considered a dissident in part due to his treatises, Cicero outlined the
six mistakes of man as he saw them evidenced in ancient Rome.
Unfortunately, tolerance was not a virtue of rulers of the time, and
Cicero was executed then his head and hands were displayed on the speaker’s
platform at the Forum in Rome.
It is amazing to me that this list still has relevance
over 2000 years later in a time far different from ancient Rome.
Although the surroundings have changed, the basic challenges humans face
remain the same when it comes to matters of the soul.
With respect, acceptance, and
love,