TIME AND LOVE

Once upon a time, there was a secluded island where all the feelings lived. Happiness, Sadness, Knowledge, Anger, Trust and all the other feelings including Love. One day it was announced to the feelings that the island was going to sink, so they all had to vacate the island as soon as possible or die. All the feelings and company quickly began to prepare their boats to leave as soon as possible. Love was the only one who decided to stay and hold out until the last possible moment.

When the island had almost sunk, and Love wanted to leave, it found itself without a boat. Someone else must have taken it. Love, worried, decided to ask for help.

Richness was passing by in its most beautiful boat, and Love asked, “Richness, can you take me with you?” Richness answered, “No, I can’t. There is a lot of gold and silver in my boat and sadly there is no place here for you.”

Next, Love saw Vanity who was also passing by in a beautiful vessel. “Vanity, please help me!” pleaded Love. “I can’t help you, Love. You are all wet and would damage my boat if I take you in,” Vanity answered. 

Sadness was close by, and Love asked for help once again, “Sadness, let me go with you.” Sadness unwillingly responded, “Oh…Love, I am so sad that I prefer to go alone!”

Happiness passed by Love too, but she was so happy and cheerful that she did not even hear anything when Love called her!

Love was in disbelief. It was doomed to go down with the island, but then suddenly there was an elderly voice, “Come, Love, I will take you.” When they arrived at dry land, the elder went on her own way. Love, now blessed and overjoyed, forgot to ask the elder her name.

Realising how much she owed to the elder, Love asked Wisdom, another elder, “Who was that who stopped to offer me a ride?”

“It was Time,” answered Wisdom. “Time? But why did Time help me?” asked Love. 

Wisdom smiled and with compassion answered, “Because only Time is capable of understanding how valuable Love is.” 

Adapted from a story found in
Tequila of Life: Inspirational Sharad Gupta.
(Allied Publishers Pvt. Limited, 2016) Page 41

CONSIDER THIS

Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.
Love doesn’t strut,
Doesn’t have a swelled head,
Doesn’t force itself on others,
Isn’t always “me first,”
Doesn’t fly off the handle,
Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn’t revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (The Message)

We may not understand why things are unfolding the way they are but we can trust that Time will eventually reveal Love to us.

TO WHOM DOES THE GIFT BELONG

One day the Buddha was walking through a village. A very angry and rude young man came up and began insulting him, hurling all kinds of rude words at him, intended to ridicule and demean him.

The Buddha was not upset by these insults. Instead he asked the young man, “Tell me, if you buy a gift for someone, and that person does not take it, to whom does the gift belong?”

The young man was surprised to be asked such a strange question and answered, “It would belong to me, because I bought the gift.”

The Buddha smiled and said, “That is correct. And it is exactly the same with your anger. If you become angry with me and I do not get insulted, then the anger falls back on you. You are then the only one who becomes unhappy, not me. All you have done is hurt yourself.”

Source: A variation of a shorter story falsely attributed to Buddha

CONSIDER THIS

People can and will offer us their words, opinions and points of view. None of that can hurt us unless we let it first land in our heart and mind.

• Holding on the anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die. (exact source unknown)

• Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of harming another; you end up getting burned. (exact source unknown)

WHERE’S YOUR TEMPER?

A Zen student came to Bankei and said: “Master, I have an ungovernable temper — how can I cure it?”

“Show me this temper,” said Bankei, “it sounds fascinating.”

“I haven’t got it right now,” said the student, “so I can’t show it to you.”

“Well then” said Bankei, “bring it to me when you have it.”

“But I can’t bring it just when I happen to have it,” protested the student. “It arises unexpectedly, and I would surely lose it before I got it to you.”

“In that case,” said Bankei, “it cannot be part of your true nature. If it were, you could show it to me at any time. When you were born you did not have it, and your parents did not give it to you — so it must come into you from the outside. I suggest that whenever it gets into you, you beat yourself with a stick until the temper can’t stand it, and runs away.”

Source | Osho, And the Flowers Showered: The Freudian Couch and Zen
Osho Media International, 2012) page 37

The full story can be found in The unborn: the life and teaching of Zen Master Bankei, 1622-1693 by Bankei, Normal Waddell, translator

CONSIDER THIS

Getting angry and losing our temper is a sign of weakness. If we cannot hold our temper, it ends up hurting us more than the one at whom it was directed at. As the Buddha once said: “Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.” Think about that!