A Question of Tolerance by Martinus
Martinus answered readers questions in the magazine Kosmos. The answer is from 1933.

Question: How is it possible for anyone to reach the level of tolerance Martinus talks about? There are many people I cannot tolerate, let alone love, and I cannot see how I will ever reach that point.

Martinus Answer: Loving one's neighbour does not depend on the will alone but, like a gift for music, is based on an innate talent. An innate talent is again a result of previous training or practice in perhaps many previous lives. This practice eventually results in the culmination of the talent, and the individual then appears as a genius in the field concerned.

A large part of the training of moral genius or the perfect ability to love one's neighbour occurs automatically; this part is therefore outside the control of the will. But I will mention here a few of the most important elements in that part of the training of the above mentioned ability which is subject to the will, and with which the individual can work consciously on his own growth towards a true and perfect manifestation of love.

• Discard the concept of "enemies" from your consciousness.
• Never retort against anger, slander or other forms of unpleasantness directed against you.
• Never say anything evil about anyone or anything.
• Be absolutely truthful and honest in all the situations of life.
• Be absolutely uninfluenced by flattery, praise and criticism.
• Never take part in killing, wounding or mutilating.
• Never let your thoughts deviate from being concerned with how you can best serve your fellow beings. In so doing you will be practising the very highest form of yoga or the most perfect training of that part of your development which is within the scope of your will and which together with the other part of the refining of your nature by life itself, will ultimately lead you forward to becoming a moral genius and transform you into a perfect being, a God-like human being.

© Martinus Institut 1981
Published with permission from Martinus Institute 2001-06-18