By Ian Marshall
When I was growing up, I was always told that “patience is a virtue” and that “good things come to those who wait.” This was a piece of advice from my parents that I found useful, and I was able to practice it from an early age. I found waiting for things happily to be a somewhat natural state for me.
It wasn’t always easy, though. Living in London for 10 years, with the fast-paced city life and the pressure of working in industries like finance and TV, sometimes took me away from my awareness and centered me in the culture of frustration.
One particular example I noted was using the London Underground, whether traveling to work or going home after a busy day. Entering the tube network involves going down escalators, along corridors, and eventually arriving at a platform where there is an indicator that tells you when the next train is due to arrive.
Normally, this displays 1 minute, 2 minutes, or maybe 3 minutes. Sometimes, though, there can be delays, and the sign can show 5 minutes, 7 minutes, or even more. In such situations, people become extremely upset, and it is interesting to observe their reaction. I have caught myself doing it as well—the stories that begin to run through our minds: how can this be happening to me, just 7 whole minutes waiting for the train! My day/evening/life is ruined!
Of course, from a distance, from the witness perspective, we can see that this is a nonsensical, psychological suffering that we are imposing on ourselves. It makes no real difference in the big scheme of things if I wait 3 minutes or 7 minutes, so why worry?
Allowing ourselves to react from the Heart in times of irritation or distress in daily life means that we are moving away from the patterns of conditioned response. By taking the time and allowing ourselves to view negative emotions from the Witness Consciousness, we can be more present in the moment and respond to life’s challenges with greater compassion and empathy. The first step in mastering patience is awareness. We must acknowledge when we become impatient, frustrated, or irritated in certain situations. Then we can begin to act by focusing, breathing, and not reacting in our usual way.
As we transition from a grasping approach towards Self-Realization into surrender and trust in the universe’s best outcome, we can strive to our best without judgment over the results.
If we practice from the Heart, then transformation will occur; there is no guarantee when it will occur but being relaxed about the outcome both helps our practice and is also enhanced by our practice.
This is true of all the attitudes recommended in Hridaya Yoga. By practicing, we naturally come into resonance with these characteristics, but at the same time, by observing them in our lives, we become mentally purified, and our practice is enhanced.
Patience is a theme that is prominent in all major religions. In Christianity, it is considered one of the most important virtues.
In Judaism, it is taught that we should wait for God, and in Proverbs, it is written “The patient man shows much good sense, but the quick-tempered man displays folly at its height.”
In Islam, sabr or patience with belief in Allah, is considered one of the greatest virtues.
Buddhism includes patience as one of the paramitas, or perfections, practiced by Bodhisattvas in their pursuit of enlightenment. In Hinduism, patience and forbearance are also considered essential attributes. The practitioner should be able to endure unwelcome conditions with a happy frame of mind, understanding that it is karma playing out in the universal scheme of things.
So take the time to observe your frustration and anxiety and let go of any desire to change it. In daily life, begin to acknowledge and observe these moments of impatience without judgment. Slowly allow yourself the time to observe these things arising, and then go beyond the limitations that they present.
Ian is a Hridaya teacher.
