The seed shop

A spiritually-inclined woman once dreamt that she was in a shop. She was delighted with what she saw. Behind the counter was God. He looked as if he was eager to serve her. Happy she could have what she wanted, she asked for peace of mind and happiness. God replied, “My dear, you have got into the wrong shop. We don’t sell fruits. We only sell seeds.” The dream now came to an abrupt end. With a start, the woman woke up. Sleep had vanished and she pondered over what her dream had signified. After some rumination, its meaning became clear.

Our dreams have the capability of conveying, although obliquely, important truths. The seeds offered to her were thoughts. We come into this world with the great gift of being able to choose our thoughts. If we harbour good thoughts in our minds, they take root enabling us to grow into kind and compassionate individuals. In an invisible yet real way, they shape us and make us who we are.

The fruit of trees is not the result of any sleight of hand. They come from hard labour, from years of nurturing the plant and waiting for it to grow and blossom. What is true of Nature is true of human existence as well. Peace, love and happiness are conditions that arise from patient cultivation. This fact becomes patent when we examine the lives of the truly great and enlightened.

Gautam Buddha is a prime example. Born a prince, he found that material wealth did not bring him the happiness he yearned for. It took him years of rigorous sacrifice to win for himself enlightenment and peace. A model for modern times is Mahatma Gandhi.

In his ‘An Autobiography’, he spells out clearly all the travails, both national and personal, that he went through to attain the goals he cherished. In his own words, “For me, the truth is the sovereign principle, which includes numerous other principles. This truth is not only truthfulness in words, but truth in thought also. I am prepared to sacrifice the things dearest to me in pursuit of this quest.”

As the Buddha observed, “We become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves.”