Lessons from a Rose that
blossoms in a field of dirt
When young Rahul went to Buddha to have a Dharma talk, Buddha asked him to learn from the four great elements - Earth, water, fire and air. They all have the capacity to receive, embrace and transform. Whether the Earth receives fragrant or filthy water, it transforms all into flowers, grass and trees. Buddha said, if you cultivate your heart to open it up, then it can be immense like the Earth and can embrace anyone or anything without suffering.
Nature has an inbuilt transformational system, by which it can symbiotically co-exist with all the elements. The sight of a Lotus in a muddy pond or a rose in a field of dirt is not uncommon. The secret is they can draw nourishment from decay, and blossom in joy to transform the whole environment with fragrance and beauty. From nature we may learn this skill of how to transform our sorrows into joy, pain into gain and can use our spiritual life force to transform life’s bondage into the stepping stones for our liberation. The Bhagavad Gita refers to our Godly and demonic qualities in detail but gives lot of importance on doing our Purusharth (individual will or effort). Krishna told Arjun that life’s problems may be big or small but how we face it - with courage and confidence or with fear and arrogance, makes all the difference in our progress. Thus the transformational power lies not in circumstance but in our outlook. Purusharth is achieved when we act with wisdom (based on truth and proper discrimination) - with a calm mind, and act for the well-being of all. We must always try to save our life from the fire of anger and pride, and from the filth of greed and lust.
Our thoughts and tendencies are very powerful energies, they cannot be stopped or suppressed, and they affect our actions constantly. All negative thoughts which are potentially destructive in nature should not be allowed to grow. If we culture a calm and alert mind, we may see these thoughts when they appear, recognize their presence and then just let them go before they manifest into word and action. By observing them in their subtle state, we save ourselves from being overpowered by them, and have the opportunity to skillfully transforming them in some constructive and positive way to evolve our own destiny.
By experiencing and transforming miseries, we become richer inside, and also make the world richer. These are not abstract ideals but the inner workings of our daily lives. Life’s problems are varied in nature. It may be, a loss in business or in family, addiction, loneliness or may be a bad relationship, but these circumstances all hold within them the power of transformation through our purusharth, or the skillful manifestation of individual will.
The truth is, in life nothing happens by chance. Whatever good or bad we experience in present life, they happen as a result of our previous karma in different lives. Our present and future life can be saved only by our today’s righteous actions.
Pain and suffering come in every life to teach us something - to give us an opportunity to be wise and open our hearts with compassion and tolerance. While facing difficulties, we usually want immediate alternatives and think of sidestepping them. We imagine that by avoiding or suppressing the difficulty we can be happy. But that is not so. Our usual response to suppress the reality of a situation or react aggressively to it – both, create unstable emotions that usually result in anger. Our suppressed emotions affect our body and mind adversely. And that anger in turn manifests itself as some physical problem like an ulcer, hypertension, heart problems or mental aggressiveness, self-centeredness, confusion, etc.
The second strategy, when we vent out our feelings, react sharply, lay blame, quit a job or marriage in a knee jerk reaction, also doesn’t work because the same old demons (pain, confusion, feeling of guilt, tiredness, etc) follow and affect our new situation adversely, creating the same result. So till we learn the lesson of resolving the energy, not just the circumstance that resulted from past actions – seen or unseen, by being spiritual in nature, opening our heart and realizing God’s existence, we remain caught in the energy web of our own past collective actions.
The only alternative is to learn lessons from our weaknesses, discover wisdom, and use difficulties as our stepping stones to grow spiritually. Not by changing the world, but by changing ourselves, we can bring change in others. Inevitable difficulties of lives can be the source of our awakening, of deepening wisdom, patience, balance and compassion. Buddhist scholar Jack Kornfield says “Without this perspective, we simply bear our sufferings like an ox or a foot soldier under a heavy load (A Path with Heart, p-71).
In today’s world we care more for outside appearance and formal mannerisms than inner substance and sincerity. So often we adopt artificial mannerisms to show our love and concern, but remain angry and resentful inside. This hypocrisy can never bring peace to us or to anybody.
Anger and hatred accomplish nothing. Swami Yogananda says “Greater than the wounds of battle, are wounds to your soul”. The body perishes, but the immortal soul carries that pain forever. Yogananda ji said, “The spiritual man conquers wrath by calmness, stops quarrels by keeping silence, dispels disharmony by being sweet in speech and shames discourtesy being thoughtful to others.” If that does not work, then keep silent, and pray for the upliftment and well-being of that suffering soul.
Edited by Prodeep Bose
