There is a story related to Gautam Buddha. Buddha used to give sermons related to life to his disciples every day. People would come to him from far and wide, listen to him and ask him the way out of their sufferings. One day a question arose in the mind of one of the Buddha’s disciples.
He asked humbly, “Tathagata, does the lives of all those who listen to your satsang every day change? Does their sorrow go away?”
The Buddha said in a calm voice, “Some people benefit and some people don’t. ”
The disciple was surprised. He then asked, “When all the people hear your preaching, why don’t everyone have peace?” Why doesn’t everyone’s life change?”
The Buddha said, “Suppose someone asks you the way to the palace. You explain to him the right path, but instead of following the path you have shown, he willingly goes in another direction and loses his way. What will you do then?”
The disciple said, “Tathagata, my job was only to show the way. If he didn’t walk down the path and got lost, what can I do about it?”
The Buddha said, “That is the answer to your question. ”
The Buddha explained, “My job is also to show people the right way of life. I can tell them which work hurts and which leads to peace, but whether to live or not to live as I say is each person’s own decision. ”
The disciple began to understand.
The Buddha further said, “How will a person who only listens to sermons but does not change his behavior? Just knowing the right route does not lead to a destination. One also has to walk that path to reach the destination. ”
This is an important truth of life. It’s easy to hear good things, but hard to make them part of your behavior. Knowledge becomes useful only when it shows up in our decisions, habits and actions.
Therefore, it is not enough to be impressed just by listening to a saint or a great man. The real change begins when we start applying that learning to our own lives. The sermons show the way, but we have to decide to follow that path ourselves.
Lessons of the Context
1. Adopt one learning at a time
Often we hear many good things and decide that now everything will change, but after a few days the old habits return. So instead of making a lot of changes at once, choose one small lesson. For example, not responding immediately when angry. Work on this habit first. If you adopt good habits one by one, then you will see a change in life soon.
2. Connect what you hear to your life
After listening to a sermon, ask yourself, “Where does this apply in my life?” When you connect the learning with your real situation, then its importance will be understood more.
3. Introspect daily
After the day is over, take five minutes for yourself before going to bed. Think about what I did well today and where I forgot my own goodness. The purpose is not to blame yourself, but to recognize your mistakes. Introspection gradually improves behavior.
4. Focus on practice more than listening
Reading books, listening to sermons are good things, but their purpose should be to bring about a change in life. Every time you hear something new, decide which small behavior to change from today.
5. Don’t expect to get results right away
Habits don’t change in a day. Despite trying the right times many times, the old mistake can happen again. Instead of getting frustrated at such times, start again. A small effort made consistently can make a big difference in the long run.
6. Do the right deeds with the right advice
Knowing the solution to a problem and working on that solution are two different things. If you know that communication is essential in a relationship, then the conversation has to start as well. If the routine has to be changed to reduce stress, then that change has to be put into practice.
7. Accept your responsibility
Not every situation in life is under our control, but we do have some control over our reaction. So instead of blaming only circumstances or others for every problem, ask yourself- “What can I do better in this situation?”
