When one experiences misery it only means that things are not fitting with your desires. Things never fit with your desires, they cannot. Everything simply goes on to follow its own nature.
Lao Tzu calls this nature Tao. Buddha calls this nature Dhamma. Mahavir has defined religion as 'Nature of things'. Nothing can change this. Fire is hot and water is cool. A wise man is one who relaxes with and who follows the nature of things.
No shadow is cast when you follow the nature of things. There is no misery. Even sadness is luminous and has a beauty of its own then. This does not mean sadness will not come. It will come, but it will not be your enemy. You will befriend it, because you will see it as a necessity. You will see its grace and why it is there and why it is needed.
A very ancient parable, from the time God used to live on the earth goes thus. One day an old farmer came to God, and he said, "Look, you may be God, and you may have created the world. But one thing I must say to you. You are not a farmer. You do not even know the ABC of farming. You have something that you have not learn't yet."
God asked, "What is your advise then?"
The farmer said, "You give me one year's time. Just let things happen according to how I want them to happen. You just sit back and see what happens. There will be no poverty left!"
God agreed and the one year was given to the farmer. Naturally, he asked for the best. He thought only of the best - no thunder, no strong winds, no dangers for the crop. Everything was comfortable and cozy and the old farmer was very happy. The wheat was growing so high! When he wanted sun, there was sun; when he wanted rain. there was rain. And the exact amount of it. This year everything was right, mathematically right.
When the crop was harvested, there was no wheat inside.
The farmer was surprised. He asked God, "What happened? What went wrong?"
God said, "Since there was no challenge, no conflict, and no friction and because you avoided all that was bad, the wheat remained impotent. A little struggle is a must Storms are needed. Thunder and lightning is needed. The vibrate the soul inside the wheat."
The parable is of immense value. If you are just happy and happy and happy, all the time, happiness will lose all meaning. It will be as if somebody is writing on a white wall with a white chalk. Nobody will ever be able to read anything. You will have to write on a black board. Then what you write becomes clear. The night is needed as much as the day. And the days of sadness are as essential as the days of happiness.
This is called understanding. Once you understand, you relax and in that relaxation is surrender. You say, "Thy will be done." You say, "Do whatsoever you feel is right. If clouds are needed today, give me clouds. Don't listen to me.; my understanding is tiny, limited. What do I know of life and its secrets? Don't listen to me! You just go on doing your will."
And, slowly, the more you see the tempo of life, the regularity of duality, the rhythm of polarity, you stop asking, you stop choosing.
This is the secret. Live with this secret, and see its beauty. And you will suddenly realize - How great is the blessing of life! How much is being showered on you every moment!
source: Stories from Here and There, Ekalavya Education Foundation - By: Sunil Handa - http://www.eklavya.org/storyhere.html
No shadow is cast when you follow the nature of things. There is no misery. Even sadness is luminous and has a beauty of its own then. This does not mean sadness will not come. It will come, but it will not be your enemy. You will befriend it, because you will see it as a necessity. You will see its grace and why it is there and why it is needed.
A very ancient parable, from the time God used to live on the earth goes thus. One day an old farmer came to God, and he said, "Look, you may be God, and you may have created the world. But one thing I must say to you. You are not a farmer. You do not even know the ABC of farming. You have something that you have not learn't yet."
God asked, "What is your advise then?"
God agreed and the one year was given to the farmer. Naturally, he asked for the best. He thought only of the best - no thunder, no strong winds, no dangers for the crop. Everything was comfortable and cozy and the old farmer was very happy. The wheat was growing so high! When he wanted sun, there was sun; when he wanted rain. there was rain. And the exact amount of it. This year everything was right, mathematically right.
When the crop was harvested, there was no wheat inside.
The farmer was surprised. He asked God, "What happened? What went wrong?"
God said, "Since there was no challenge, no conflict, and no friction and because you avoided all that was bad, the wheat remained impotent. A little struggle is a must Storms are needed. Thunder and lightning is needed. The vibrate the soul inside the wheat."
The parable is of immense value. If you are just happy and happy and happy, all the time, happiness will lose all meaning. It will be as if somebody is writing on a white wall with a white chalk. Nobody will ever be able to read anything. You will have to write on a black board. Then what you write becomes clear. The night is needed as much as the day. And the days of sadness are as essential as the days of happiness.
This is called understanding. Once you understand, you relax and in that relaxation is surrender. You say, "Thy will be done." You say, "Do whatsoever you feel is right. If clouds are needed today, give me clouds. Don't listen to me.; my understanding is tiny, limited. What do I know of life and its secrets? Don't listen to me! You just go on doing your will."
And, slowly, the more you see the tempo of life, the regularity of duality, the rhythm of polarity, you stop asking, you stop choosing.
This is the secret. Live with this secret, and see its beauty. And you will suddenly realize - How great is the blessing of life! How much is being showered on you every moment!
source: Stories from Here and There, Ekalavya Education Foundation - By: Sunil Handa - http://www.eklavya.org/storyhere.html
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