Letter # 73: "Slander"

A friend telephoned me to talk about some worrying slander in a newspaper.
"Freedom of the press" confers a liberty to say anything, true or not. The "freedom" is a two-edged sword, and not a new one, at that.
The 1980 edition of the book “You and Your Rights”, by the Reader’s Digest, states, “… in Cicero’s days, noble Romans often complained about items in the Acta Diurna (the “Day’s Happenings”) - a whitewashed board that hung in the city square.”
The Reader’s Digest continues, “Freedom of the press is confirmed in the Bill of Rights and, generally speaking, our laws permit the press to publish anything.” If a person feels injured by what is said or written about him or her, he or she can take legal action. In that case, the person experiencing the tort, slander or libel would have to prove in court that he or she has suffered in some “material way”. [P28-29].
Psychologically speaking, a slanderer can be viewed as projecting his or her own fear, envy or anger. You will remember the projectors of old, of films or slides. When you walk in front of one when it's turned on, into its light, the image is projected on to you. Likewise, the slanderer is projecting his or her thoughts and opinions, which arise out of fear, envy or anger. Slander, born of fear, envy and anger, if unbridled, could, in turn, give birth to violence.
Mark Twain's wit helps us to sharpen our insight into our own roles in slander. “It takes your enemy and your friend, working together, to hurt you: the one to slander you, and the other to bring the news to you.”
Slander and scandal exists in all spheres of life, including the spiritual, especially when money or power is at stake.
Saints and spiritual leaders are renowned for being rejected. Lord Krishna states. “Fools deride Me when I descend in Human form. They do not know My transcendental nature as the Supreme Lord of all that be.” BG 9.11.
Guru Nanak sings: “Sant kai dukhan sukh sab jae; sant kai dukhan narak maih pae”, which stanza is rendered into English as: “By slandering the saint, all happiness vanishes; By slandering the saint, the slanderer falls into hell.” SS Asht 12,13 P131
While slander of a saint can, inadvertently, serve to raise awareness of him or her, it can also, paradoxically, increase his or her popularity. There is a sadness about it all. This is conveyed in Jesus’ statement: “For a little while longer, I am with you, then I go to Him who sent Me. You shall seek Me, and shall not find Me; and where I am you cannot come.” John 7:33-34

God Bless; Allah Hu Akbar; May The Forces Of The Universe Bring You Harmony; Hare Krishna; Radha-Swami; and Nanak Naam Chardi Kala Tere Bhane Sarbat Dha Bhalla.

I wish to express my gratitude for your comments, which inspire me to carry on writing. Please forgive my fallibilities in presenting this material. Also, feel free to send this message on to someone that you might think would like to receive it. If you do send it on, my only request of you is that you send it as it is, in its entirety, and to not alter or modify any of the text, references or authorship information. Thus you will help to give credit or liability to where they are properly due.
Jas Bhopal
Copyright© 2008
References: "The Holy Bible" Online version; "The Koran" as translated by SV Mir Ahmed Ali 2005 ISBN 0-9761870-0-0); "The Bhagavad Gita As it Is" as translated by Srila Prabhupada ISBN 0-89213-268-X; The Srimad Bhagavatum as translated by Srila Prabhupada ISBN0-89213-259-0; "I Am That. Talks With Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj” ISBN 0-89386-022-0; The Dhammapada ISBN-10:1-84483-344-5; The Sacred Sukhmani ISBN 81-7205-098-4; Wikipedia.