In our respective lives, the good, the positive and the true cannot be attained immediately or automatically, they require time and some form of process. Sometimes we have to act, but sometimes we have to wait. People often try to force things to happen. Occasionally force works, but then we are not let with the feeling of true accomplishment. If every inch of success is gained through a battle or a conflict, the victory is hollow.
We cannot get optimum results depending only on ourselves and with our efforts alone. Success comes from learning to let things be: not just situations, but especially letting people be. We must certainly do, but we must not be attached to the doing itself. It is the attachment to what we do that limits the success of the results, because the attachment or desire for particular results robs action of its purity.
Take the case of a gardener. He selects his ground and, according to the season plants the appropriate seeds. He likes his work, he tills the soil, sows the seed, then waters the plant, but ultimately he knows that it is up to nature to manifest her miracle of life. The Gardener must always be attentive, making sure there is enough water, that the insects do not attack, but he cannot dominate the process. He cooperates and assists nature, but he must not interfere. The most beautiful garden is a product of the partnership between him and nature; he aligns himself to her laws, understanding when to step in and when to wait. Enduring success is always based on a partnership. A real partnership recognizes not only the role of the self but also the role of other people. We allow others to make their contributions without ignoring our own responsibilities. Ignorantly, however, we forget to keep this balance.
It is important that the gardener understands the law of balance, otherwise he will do too much or too little, and the beauty and productivity of the garden will be diminished. The gardener has to have respect for time. He must have the patience to wait for the right season to plant his flowers, because if particular seeds are planted at the wrong time or in the wrong place, then no amount of attention will matter. Again, patience alone is not enough. Patience without understanding what is appropriate means that the waiting is not aligned to the reality. Inactivity and patience is not the same thing. Inactivity could be apathy, and apathy comes when there is no desire to make effort or to commit yourself.
We are required to plant the seeds of right action and water them with responsibility and attention, but never force things because of self-centered desires. Selfish desires ruin the crop we wish to reap. There cannot be success in terms of happiness and well-being, if one is constantly interfering and manipulating what should be left alone. We need to work with respect for the natural process. Thus how, the inherent good emerges from all things.
