By: Yogesh Sharda
Source: The Daily Guardian https://epaper.
Dated: October 12, 2024
Life can be viewed in a variety of ways, depending on the perspective we have or what experiences have taught us to believe. Life can be likened to a business, where relationships are things to be invested in or drawn from; emotions and feelings, love and kindness, all seen as a business exchange. Others regard life as a battlefield. They wake up in the morning, ready to assault the day, battle with the traffic on the way to work, battle at work and often assume a ‘war face’ as they try to get through the day. Yet others may see life as a game; they try to learn and understand the rules, and play accordingly. Others think of life as a performance, or as a school. All of these approaches have their own merits, but one very powerful way of looking at life, is by viewing life through the eyes of a farmer.
We live in an era of instant gratification, and we are used to getting instant results in so many areas of our lives. Our touchscreen technology is of course great, and can be helpful and useful but, we often neglect the greatest of all technologies – that of our own minds. Our minds need to be nurtured and if we take a look at how nature operates, we can see that we have tremendous amounts to learn. Nature is extremely intelligent and the more we understand it and research it, the more lessons we learn for ourselves.
If we consider that our minds to be the soil, from which all our thoughts and ideas sprout and grow, then how do we take care of our mind? How do we handle the fields of our relationships? It is with a farmer’s perspective that we can learn to live our lives with happiness. A farmer understands there is a need for patience because crops do not grow instantly. Seeds need to be sown at the right time, and if the season is missed, it is no use expecting a harvest. A hundred years ago, before the advent of all the agricultural technology, farmers seemed to be working more closely and in partnership with nature. For those working in the spiritual dimension, it helps to understand the natural systems and rhythms of life, and how they are all interlinked and affect one another. Each one is an individual and yet the actions of each one impacts those around them, just as the behaviour of others leaves some imprint on us. The law of cause an effect is clear, and epitomised in an ancient farming axiom “As you sow, so shall you reap”.
There are admirable principles associated with farming that we can incorporate in our lives.
Those of patience, planning, persistence, productivity and understanding the big picture – perspective. Farmers look at the whole year and they need to plan, and the soil needs time to rest. If soil is used excessively, it becomes depleted and exhausted. I too have to see that my mind is in balance, and not push it too hard so that it gets exhausted. I must give my mind a chance to rest, rejuvenate, recharge, in order to be able to bring forth the best in me.
These qualities are particularly pertinent when it comes to setbacks. Spiritually, it is true that If I am authentically and sincerely trying to apply values in my life in relationships and situations, then there can only be positive and beneficial results. However, sometimes it happens that what appears in front of us is a curtain of loss, and that is all we can see. But, if we think like the farmer, we can find the hidden benefit.
This requires three qualities:
Patience – things may not be instantly good but do not shout at the crops! The fruit of patience is always very sweet.
Tolerance – what I am dealing with and facing, may not be to my liking, but tolerance means developing an inner strength. In this way my good nature is not lost.
Introversion – When things go wrong, most people look outwards to see who or what is to blame. Spiritually, we need to turn inwards and as a spiritual farmer and student, ask “why did I allow my happiness to disappear?” and “Why did I lose my self-respect or dignity? In other words, see everything as an opportunity for growth. There are opportunities for growth all around us if we can only see them.
Yogesh Sharda is the National Coordinator
of The Brahma Kumaris’ services in Turkey.
