How to look at challenges and problems?
Of the seeds that are scattered on earth, how many successfully sprout and grow to their fullest potential? Not all. Only a few get the right soil. But not all such seeds get sufficient water at the right time. Among the ones that do, not all of them receive adequate sunlight, shade, or nourishment. Among the few that get all of these, some saplings may be devoured or trampled by animals. Thus, one or the other factor causes the seed to not grow to its fullest potential.
If all the necessities were fulfilled, would the seed still flourish? The seed needs to sacrifice itself for the sapling to take birth. It has to allow its walls to dissolve and merge into the surrounding soil, so that it gives way to the sapling. The purpose of the seed is fulfilled only through its sacrifice, its willingness to dedicate itself to transformation. Similarly for spiritual growth, it is essential for the mind to surrender. When the mind drops, the Self shines. It is like the caterpillar that undergoes metamorphosis only when it sacrifices itself to go through the stage of the cocoon and then strives out of it. Only then does the butterfly emerge and take flight in all its glory.
The caterpillar dedicates itself to the stage of the cocoon. The cocoon in the caterpillar’s journey of metamorphosis represents the period where we commit ourselves to transformation by applying and experimenting with various tools for spiritual growth including meditation, contemplation, reading and listening to wisdom teachings, etc.
When the would-be butterfly strives to come out of the cocoon, it applies pressure on the cocoon walls with its unformed wings. This striving actually helps strengthen its wings. Those caterpillars that do not apply their energies remain stuck inside the cocoon. This striving to break out of the cocoon represents the ultimate human challenge of getting out of the shell of our old identity that was built on limiting beliefs, to realize our fullest potential.
When we limit ourselves to our comfort-zone and resist or shy away from the struggles of life, we remain like seeds that never blossom to the fullest. The seed has the potential of becoming a full grown tree and ultimately an entire forest! If the seed falls short of this, it feels incomplete that ‘I could not become what I was meant to be. I could not fulfil what I was destined for.’
Just as the caterpillar realizes the purpose of struggling out of the cocoon only after it emerges, it is only after going through challenging situations in life that we realize that they were opportunities meant for us to explore and experiment, so as to realize our highest creative potential. So let’s embrace the challenges in our life as they are those walls that help strengthen our wings to take that great flight. Let’s resolve to grow into a beautiful butterfly.
Let us thank not only the good things that life gifts us, but also the challenges and problems that come our way. As everything in the universe happens in perfect order, so are the challenges in life. They are here just to help us blossom in the beautiful garden called life.
For a more detailed understanding of how to look at challenges and problems, you may download the free e-book, How to look at the world from google paly store.
7 comments
Sridhar Nagarajhan
Dhanyawad Sirshree. Float like a Butterfly, Sing like a Bee, when Sirshree is there, there is no cause for any worry.
Shailesh Mandlik
Dhanyavad Sirshree!
I am unable to express my feelings, I just feel with gratitude to have Guru (spiritual master) like Sirshree.
Gajanan Fale
Dhanyawad Sirshrij …
Yogesh Lokhande
Dhanyawad sirshree for the nice article
Ravindernath
Dear Sirshreeji,
I watch your happy thoughts programme in Sanskar channel whnever I get the opportunity. Your explanation style is very unique and no body can ever do that. I am really thankful to you. In the present blog you have stated that ‘everything in the universe happens in perfect order’. So, how could so much injustice going around us or violence one hears be treated as perfect.
~ GetHappyThoughtsAuthor
We recommend you attend the Maha Aasmani retreat to understand in more details. Meanwhile here is a pointer:
Question: If Nature is positive and all providing, how can calamities be explained with respect to the Divine Plan?
Answer: What have you made out of the Divine Plan? If you are basing your conclusions on what you see now then this is a limited view. Divine plan is all encompassing considering all generations – the one before and the ones to come.
On the path of Progress what is the Supreme possibility of creation? You have to see how with every generation things are moving forward. How many had evolved in the earlier generations, how many are evolving now and how evolved will the future generations be? That is Divine plan. Divine Plan is meant to explore the maximum potential through a body-mind. There is no work of the individual here.
For example a person clicked many photographs of himself and tore off a few of them. There, it makes no difference. But from the angle of an individual there is grief and attachment. So it is very important to invite inner peace here. Else one will only label incidents as good or bad. Man has only one yard stick. He says, “Those who survived were lucky. Those who died were unlucky.” But who will ascertain who was lucky? Only if you go and see the lives of those who passed onto the other side can you really decide who were lucky… Is it not? So an individual has limitation in his thinking.
All prayers emanate from consciousness. When the level of consciousness increases, one sees prayers emanating through all bodies from the same consciousness. When the layer of dust clears in a body, higher prayers emerge from there. When higher prayers emerge our vision clears and we are able to see the Truth in everyone. If we are not able to see the truth today, it is because our vision is not clear. Just as when our eyes have a problem we wear glasses. So when the vision of consciousness is blur and when you wear the glasses of understanding your prayers begin to take place from a higher angle. When the consciousness is at a lower state there is duality. Not just duality but multiple personalities. Think of it in this manner – as the level of consciousness reduces the number of personalities increase. As the level rises, the personalities merge. At the highest level only one personality remains. Then prayer emanates from there and is also fulfilled there alone for the highest Self Expression which benefits the whole of Mankind.
rajabets
Bravo, seems to me, is a magnificent phrase