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Patience is a Virtue. Patience is a person’s ability to wait for something without getting irritated. The ability to wait for something without angry or upset is a valuable quality in a person. In today’s world instant results to experience pleasure or fulfillment has become the order of the day.

Twenty – twenty cricket is an example … A test match needs more attention, tenacity, energy, focus, cool and calm mind, determination and really tests the cricketer over five days, whereas T20 is a power game. One over could alter the course of the match !! But people love T20 because you can see power and results in three and half hours over popcorn and coke !! Just like a film !!

The advantages of being patient are it allows you time for strategic thinking and completely evaluating a situation. Things have to fall in place and it takes time. A flight is delayed, you need to wait. There is no point in jumping up and down for jumping up and down does not bring the flight earlier !! Board exams have got postponed. So what do we do? “WAIT.” The flight will come; the exams will happen. If we can keep our patience and wait for our turn to come we will definitely get what we want. “WAITING” or “Being Patient” is a matured way of handling life and is a spiritual quality.

Once Chatrapathi Shivaji the great king from India lost his way going from one fort to the other. He looked from a hilltop and could see a hut at a distance with a dim light coming out of it. Night was approaching fast and he quickly made his way to the hut. An old woman upon seeing Shivaji thought that the soldier belonged to Chatrapathi Shivaji’s army welcomed him, gave water to wash himself and after a little rest gave him piping hot food. Upon seeing the food which he had not eaten for long, dug his hand deep into the rice and curry and took a handful into his mouth !! The hot food burned his fingers and he almost immediately brought his hand down from his mouth spilling a lot of food.

The old woman nodded her head and said,” Young soldier, “You seem to be in a great bit of impatience and haste, like your master, Chatrapathi Shivaji; that’s why you have burnt your fingers and spilled the food also. Shivaji, was astonished at the remark and asked the woman why she thought that his master Shivaji was always acting in haste and being impatient? The woman replied, “Shivaji instead of fighting and capturing smaller forts he is hell bent on attempting the larger forts. He is just like you wanting to take a large chunk of meal from the center; instead if you have started taking your meal from the corners which would have been relatively cooler, you wouldn’t have burned your fingers. She continued, “ Shivaji should have captured the smaller forts, strengthen his position, and then attempt to conquer the bigger forts – this way the loss of soldiers would be minimal, much to the astonishment of Shivaji. He diligently carried out as per what the old woman said. Haste makes waste, he pondered !!

We prefer to change our decisions than to have patience. It usually bothers us to postpone our desires. When we think that we have to wait, our mind is perturbed and it does something to us to get up and act !! Instead of controlling the mind, the mind starts controlling us !!

Buddha and his disciples went on a long journey crossing several cities and territories. They saw a lake at a distance. Buddha told the most impatient of his disciples to go, fetch water for all of them to drink. The disciple went to fetch water a wagon of oxen crossed the lake and made it dirty. The disciple turned back and went to Buddha and told him that the water is muddy and so did not bring. Buddha told him after half an hour to go back and fetch water. The disciple went and came back and said the same thing, “it’s still muddy.”

Again after a while Buddha told him to fetch water, irritatingly the disciple went and saw crystal clear water. He filled up and gave it to Buddha and others. The Buddha looked at the disciple and explained, “ You waited and let be !!” Therefore the mud settled down on its own and it has now become clear. Your mind is also like that !! When it is muddy, you will have to let it be. On the contrary if you are patient it would reach balance on its own accord. Everything will pass on its own if you chose not to hold on to. Patience is the Lord’s call for our character to not merely engage in passive endurance but active perseverance.

The farmer sows the seed and “waits” - for nature to take over. He has done what he was supposed to do to the best of his ability. He “doesn’t wait for,” instead he just waits. “Waiting for” will give sleepless nights, the best thing is to just WAIT.

I have heard of pregnant ladies recording their weight every day. It seems the fetus grows at about 25 grams per day. In case the weight increase is not as per their calculations they get impatient and worried !!

Patience is one of the key parameters in the materialistic journey and spiritual journey as well. It is a key to achieve your goals. It’s better that the decisions taken by you are carefully considered, since everything needs time. Good things take time. Have patience.