In the topsy turvy world we live in today, lawyers, influencers and politicians bicker and quarrel. They point fingers at one another as fear spreads throughout the land. In the midst of discord, it is best to lie down under a big tree and learn from the ground below. On the path to embodied wisdom, the earth is always the first teacher. It stands as a symbol for tolerance and patience toward all walks of life. The earth is always forgiving and in Sanskrit, the word for earth (kshanti)Â also means patience. Patience is a cornerstone of the Buddhist path, one of the Six Perfections or wholesome states to be cultivated. Patience protects the mind from discord and divisiveness, and it is enduring patience that we need to cultivate today.
Conflict and trial are not new on the world stage. The world of suffering—the world of samsara—is cyclical as waves of hardship rise and fall with time. To have patience and forbearance in times of trouble is to embody the wisdom of our practice. Kshanti is to see through adversity to the heart of compassion. At this time we must not waver in our resolve, nor regress to feelings of despair or attitudes of hate and condemnation. At this time in history, we must see through the thicket of animosity with the “true dharma eye”, and embody a heart made of enduring peace.
