Children, when we encounter problems in life, we must not allow them to overwhelm us. Behind each problem, there is a means to surmount it, too. Understanding this, we must continue striving. We must regard the obstacles as consequences of actions done in a past life. Or, we could empower the mind to accept whatever as God’s will. Only then can we move ahead.
Often, the most trivial matter can make us dejected. We must be able to gather strength to overcome it. Only one who strives to succeed faces defeat. Therefore, while taking the path to success, we must face the obstacles we encounter with a smile and forge ahead. We must never give in to despair. If we do so, we won’t succeed.
A man started his own business and incurred a huge loss. To offset the loss, he borrowed money. Even then, he failed. Deep in debt, the man decided to end his life, and walked to the beach. Having decided to jump into the sea after dark, he sat down on a boulder. He then noticed some children playing. They were building castles using wet sand.
They fashioned various forms according to their fancy. After they had finished building, they would stand back to admire their own handiwork. However, from time to time, their creations would be washed away by waves. Seeing this, the children would clap gleefully and laugh joyfully. When the waves retreated, the children would once again run forward to begin moulding anew. The very next moment, waves would wipe clean all their work. Seeing this, the children would squeal in joy and flee the waves. And then, they would return again.
The man watched all this with great wonder. He saw how much the children appreciated each sculpture they erected, and at the same time, how they did not lose heart when the sculptures were washed away. Actually, every loss inspired the children to create their next sculpture. None of them cried over the sand castles they had lost; nor did they become dejected and leave. Watching them filled the man with joy.
He thought, “After facing just one setback, I was ready to end my very life. But these children laugh whole-heartedly when the sea snatches away the beautiful sand sculptures they created so painstakingly. What a pity I don’t have as much expansiveness of mind. Instead of wallowing in defeat, they make renewed attempts. This is a lesson one ought to learn and share with others.”
The man gave up his plan to kill himself, and resolved to continue striving harder. The waves of life will wash away our efforts. Nevertheless, we must not despair or retreat. Instead, we must try even harder to move ahead.
It is enough if we have this attitude. We will then be able to move ahead without giving in to despair. Our lives will then be beneficial to others as well. We can gain immense satisfaction from this.
The writer is a world-renowned spiritual leader