Problems
abound all around us. All of us face problems. The little kid going to play
school also faces problems. So does his father, his mother and everyone around
him. We create our own problems when we
are not able to face and overcome our own shortcomings. We are filled with anger, hatred, jealousy,
rivalry and pride and these qualities hold us in their vicious grip. All our
energies are geared to deal with our own inadequacies and we do not have time
and energy left for work, love and relationships. When we think of God, it is
only to blame Him for our miseries. We often try to solve our problems by
offering God bribes of material worship and donations of cash at temples or
places of worship. But we do not know how to stop creating our own problems.
It
is rare for two people to live or work together without clashing. We are social
creatures who live and work with others. We have our own opinions and we tend
to force them on others. The stronger always tries to control the weaker. This
need in us to control others causes problems. When we cannot forgive others and
let go of our anger, pain and dislike, we are in a subtle prison without walls.
We suffer and feel suffocated in our own prisons. These psychological prisons
have no walls but they exist and hold their prisoners well. When we look into
the eyes of people, we can see hatred blazing out, pain, depression, greed,
jealousy etc. We live in a world full of material comforts, luxuries and
excesses and yet suffer from inner shortage of noble qualities.
Our
mind always yearns for what is not. It lives in past or in future. Ifs, buts,
and hows are its language: if only he was more nice to you, life would be fine;
but for her, I would have been the star of the party; how would it be if I had
three cars... ? Our mind creates illusions all time and we accept them and live
in a mirage. But the external world is a reality and it hits us repeatedly and
we are stressed out and miserable.
We
need to train our mind to accept reality and things as they are. Once we have
this acceptance, we can minimise and even overcome most of our problems. And we
will also stop creating problems.
When
we willingly accept the knocks of life, we flow with the tide and are not
drowned in ocean of sorrow. The man who
was with Buddha knew the art of acceptance of knocks. See this little story:
Buddha
was walking through a village with a group of his disciples. Suddenly a man came running and fell at the feet
of Buddha.
Buddha:
what do you want my son?
Man:
I wish to follow you, be your disciple and practise your teachings.
Buddha:
yes, you can do so. But you have to beg for food.
Man:
that is alright, I will. We are all dependant on others in some way or other.
Buddha:
when you beg, others may speak ugly words to you.
Man:
that is alright as long as they do not hit me.
Buddha:
it may be possible they will hit you when they abuse you.
Man:
that is acceptable as long as they do not kill me.
Buddha:
It is possible you may be killed while begging for food.
Man:
that is alright. We all die only once. But before I die, I want to be your
disciple and learn from you.
That
is positive outlook. The man knew how to turn every query raised by Buddha into
acceptance and opportunity. We can be
sure that Buddha accepted this man as his disciple and he would have surely
progressed and attained Nirvana. By his own behaviour and thoughts, the wise
man creates heaven where he is and the unwise man creates and lives in his
personal hell wherever he goes. Do not create your own problems!
