The Patience of a Farmer

Some people cry for light sincerely but without satisfactory results, simply because God’s destined Hour has not yet arrived. If a farmer feels that on the day he starts working hard to cultivate his land he should get a bumper crop, he will be disgusted and abandon the field when he sees no result after a few weeks of sincere effort. But although sincerity is important, time is still a great factor. The field can only produce satisfactory fruit in God’s own time. Our timing and God’s timing need not be, and very often are not, the same. The seeker of the infinite Truth must have the patience of a farmer.

To have a sincere longing does not mean that one cannot have patience. A kindergarten student sees that his brother has got a Master’s degree. He has a sincere longing for a Master’s degree as well, but he knows that it will take him twenty years to get it. If he does not pay attention to his studies now, then he will not pass his examination. Then how will he go on to high school and university? Right now he is the seed. Gradually the seed will germinate and become a tiny plant. Finally it will become a huge banyan tree. Does the seed think that by some miracle it will turn into a banyan tree overnight? No, it is absurd. There has to be an evolutionary process of gradual development.

If you feel that each moment is leading you towards your destination, then this progress itself is a kind of partial goal. You cannot separate divine progress, real progress, from your goal. Rather than fighting against time, you should try your utmost to derive spiritual benefit, spiritual progress, from each second. Each time you make progress, you have to feel that you have touched something of the goal itself, a tiny portion. In this way, you will feel that you are really advancing.

At this very moment, in the twinkling of an eye, you want to realise God. This is your own sense of need. But if you feel that God needs your realisation infinitely more than you need it, then you see that it becomes His responsibility. God takes this responsibility on His shoulders most sincerely. After all, it is He who wants to manifest in and through us. And if we remain unrealised, then how can He fulfill Himself in and through us? But we have to know that He has His own choice time. On our part we have only to be earnest, sincere, dedicated, devoted and surrendered to His Will.

Everything that we want to accomplish, we have to do on the strength of our sincerity. If we are seekers, we have to pray and meditate. If we are sincere and patient at every moment, then we will have real satisfaction in our achievement. Our present satisfaction may not be the ultimate satisfaction, but we can rest assured that the ultimate satisfaction is bound to grow and evolve in us. Satisfaction comes when we feel that we are making constant progress, going higher or deeper. First we feel that we are progressing towards something unknowable, then towards something knowable. Finally we realise not only that the Goal was always ours, but also that it is what we have always, eternally been.

Your surrender-acceptance Of God's Will Has created a new hope For the entire world.

- Sri Chinmoy

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