Pragna Paramita - Patience

The Buddha considered Patience as one of the highest spiritual qualities. What is patience?
Patience means being here. Not going somewhere.
Being full present with yourself, with some other, with activities, place and time.
In a relationship, patience means embracing the present with a cool head and a warm heart.
Waiting in this moment is patience.
Waiting on others and serving others with no expectation in return is patience.
The more we are in the moment, the more patient we are, we learn faster and better.
Patience helps us from making errors.
Waiting for something yet to come in the future may cause anxiety and apprehension.
What if and when if mindset hijacks us from the present and makes us impatient.

There is an interesting story about what happens when we lose our patience and when
we are captivated by impatience. It was time to plant seeds in the garden. The father
gave a handful of seeds to grow in the garden. The son planted the seeds in the soil. He
waters them everyday. After a few days little green shoots came out from the ground.
He decided to water the green shoots two times a day so that they grow faster. His mind
was captivated by impatience. He decided to stretch the green shoots to make them
grow faster. He killed everyone of the green shoots. I want it now, not later. He paid the
price for his impatience.

The Buddha formulated the two arrows theories for understanding and reducing mental
suffering. We have two kinds of pain: physical pain and mental pain. Our physical pain
is the first arrow. It hurts. How we relate to the experience of physical pain makes the
difference. If I become anxious and worry about the physical pain I create mental pain.
This is the second arrow. The pain is in the mind. If I patiently relate to the physical
pain, acknowledge it with loving kindness, I stop the second arrow.

In one of Tolstoy’s stories, the emperor is asked three essential questions:
1. When is the most important time?
2. Who is the most important person?
3. What is the most important thing they do?

Answers:
1. Now is the most important time.
2. Not self, but the other person with you.
3.The most important thing to do is to care for the other, serve the other.

If we follow these simple rules of living our heart blossoms and our relationships also blossom.
Patient life is calmer and richer.
Patience creates good will. Impatience creates bad will. Patient lifestyle helps us to be free from anger and irritability and regrets.
We get many opportunities everyday for cultivating patience especially at our home, with our friends, neighbors and colleagues.

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