Patience - a by-product of difficulties
abracad, · Categories: externally authored, self help, spiritualityBy Lt Col R K Langar
Patience is a great asset of man in life, more so when one is treading on the spiritual path. Patience is not taught but it is learned when we meet some obstacles or difficulties in life. Patience tells you not to be in a hurry because when you hurry it gives the impression that you are not in control of the situation. On the other hand if you stay calm and face the situation patiently you get time to think of some means to cross the obstacle rather than to react impatiently. Patience is needed everywhere in life, whether you seek to be one with God, whether you wish to destroy your bad habits or whether you wish to plant noble thoughts within you. Determination and patience go hand in hand. With determination you face the problem boldly which ultimately gives you patience to deal with it. If you have no patience you lose the power to tolerate, power to adjust, power to cooperate and even you lose the power to discriminate. When you lose patience you lose control on yourself. And when you lose control on yourself, you come down to the level of a beast. Patience gives you optimism. When you are standing at the bus stop waiting for your bus, you know that your bus will come sooner or later to carry you to your destination. Similarly in life when things do not happen as per your expectation, you should wait to regroup yourself with a positive state of mind to enable you to work out on an alternate plan. This is what patience teaches you to wait, watch and act to cross the obstacle.
If you expect that every time you will sail through your life without any difficulties, you will be disappointed. Life is a battle field where you have to fight in the outer world to obtain what you want. Similarly you have to fight the inner battle to win over your negative traits. Both these battles require courage, determination, patience and perseverance. Most of us are natural men, eager, impulsive and have definite plans for succeeding in life. But to implement these plans, patience is needed. Not only patience but infinite patience which means that you have absolute certainty that results will show up exactly on time when you are ready and also when you deserve them. Prerequisite for patience is no attachment to our beliefs and concepts, because if you are attached to them, they do not permit you to become patient. In the present day world our level of anxiety has increased but our level to tolerate has decreased which underscores that we have to raise our level of patience to cope up with the situations that arise in day to day living. Patience here could also mean right knowledge of time factor which would enable us to wait and watch.
Patience creates peace and peace creates patience. Patience comes out from a peaceful mind. Both patience and peace are inter connected.
Patience also comes from an open mind. The more open the mind is, the more patience will come. When we reduce our level of expectation, we shall become more and more patient. But on the other hand when we stay on a wanting mode, we are more likely to be impatient. Best thing is not to expect immediate response because when we do so we go wrong. Patience does not mean a defeatist attitude. Patience is the characteristic of an elevated mind. That is the reason that patience is considered a great virtue. Patience is also referred as fortress of all virtues. When there is no attachment with the results of our actions, there is huge patience.
There is a beautiful Parasi prayer which underscores the virtue of patience. The prayer runs as follows. Give me few friends who understand me and remain my friends. Give me work to do which has real value without which the world will be poorer. Give me the feeling of presence of God. And patience to wait for coming of these things. That is the reason that patience is regarded a most valuable virtue for self elevation.
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Filed in: externally authored, self help, spirituality
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