<p>When we see people unable to tolerate delay, either in their own expectations or in someone else’s work we understand that patience is a much underrated virtue. Friction between spouses and arguments with elders or children can to a large extent be avoided if one learns to be a wee more patient. Delays or accidents happen due to circumstances beyond one’s control or simply because of a person’s lethargy, his particular age, indifference or just carelessness.</p>.<p><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/mahatma-gandhi">Mahatma Gandhi</a> said, “To lose patience is to lose the battle”. The ‘battle’ word need not mean only war at the frontier, but daily battles of the ego with that of another and one who displays patience certainly has an edge. In the spiritual context, patience is the edifice upon which devotion towards the Almighty is built, as it may take ages to taste the fruits of devotion. The worth of true unalloyed devotion can be seen from the stories of great devotees who exhibited exemplary limits in patience.</p>.Fathers must embody love.<p>They realised the object of their devotion only through uncompromising devotion and patience, although stricken by many years of hardship. The story of the devotee Shabari is well known. Her aim in life was to see Lord Rama, and despite facing ridicule, waited daily in faith and unwavering patience for decades together, in a forest hamlet, until finally Lord Rama did come along her way. Another story worthy of narration is that of Bhadrachalam Ramdas, a revenue officer turned poet of the 17th century.</p>.<p>The Bhadrachalam Ram temple was badly in need of renovation and when crowd sourced funds proved insufficient Ramdas utilised the amount collected in tax, relying upon the promise of the villagers to repay the amount after harvest season. The Sultan got to know of this and Ramdas got imprisoned wherein his devotion to Ram got tested. With utmost sincerity and patience he wrote and sang poems in Rama’s praise for twelve long years, finally questioning Ram’s mercy towards him.</p>.<p>It then so happened that the Sultan got a dream in which Ram and Lakshman appeared and returned the due amount in gold coins. When the Sultan awoke he saw heaps of ancient gold coins near his cot. He immediately ordered release of Ramdas and from then onwards would send an annual gift to the temple. </p>
<p>When we see people unable to tolerate delay, either in their own expectations or in someone else’s work we understand that patience is a much underrated virtue. Friction between spouses and arguments with elders or children can to a large extent be avoided if one learns to be a wee more patient. Delays or accidents happen due to circumstances beyond one’s control or simply because of a person’s lethargy, his particular age, indifference or just carelessness.</p>.<p><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/mahatma-gandhi">Mahatma Gandhi</a> said, “To lose patience is to lose the battle”. The ‘battle’ word need not mean only war at the frontier, but daily battles of the ego with that of another and one who displays patience certainly has an edge. In the spiritual context, patience is the edifice upon which devotion towards the Almighty is built, as it may take ages to taste the fruits of devotion. The worth of true unalloyed devotion can be seen from the stories of great devotees who exhibited exemplary limits in patience.</p>.Fathers must embody love.<p>They realised the object of their devotion only through uncompromising devotion and patience, although stricken by many years of hardship. The story of the devotee Shabari is well known. Her aim in life was to see Lord Rama, and despite facing ridicule, waited daily in faith and unwavering patience for decades together, in a forest hamlet, until finally Lord Rama did come along her way. Another story worthy of narration is that of Bhadrachalam Ramdas, a revenue officer turned poet of the 17th century.</p>.<p>The Bhadrachalam Ram temple was badly in need of renovation and when crowd sourced funds proved insufficient Ramdas utilised the amount collected in tax, relying upon the promise of the villagers to repay the amount after harvest season. The Sultan got to know of this and Ramdas got imprisoned wherein his devotion to Ram got tested. With utmost sincerity and patience he wrote and sang poems in Rama’s praise for twelve long years, finally questioning Ram’s mercy towards him.</p>.<p>It then so happened that the Sultan got a dream in which Ram and Lakshman appeared and returned the due amount in gold coins. When the Sultan awoke he saw heaps of ancient gold coins near his cot. He immediately ordered release of Ramdas and from then onwards would send an annual gift to the temple. </p>
