Great Obstacle

One day a young Buddhist on his journey home, came to the banks of a wide river.

Staring hopelessly at the great obstacle in front of him, he pondered for hours on just how to cross such a wide barrier. Just as he was about to give up his pursuit to continue his journey he saw a great teacher on the other side of the river.

The young Buddhist yells over to the teacher, “Oh wise one, can you tell me how to get to the other side of this river?”

The teacher ponders for a moment looks up and down the river and yells back, “My son, you are on the other side.”

Be Mature

After reading the story many of us might have felt that the Great Teacher was not able to help the Buddhist Monk.

Buddhist Monk has started his inward journey. The Great Teacher when ponders for a moment looks up and down the river and yells back, “My son, you are on the other side.”

He could see that the Monk who wants to take jump inward is not able to see the obstacles he has. He is able to see the obstacle of the objective world but not able to see the obstacles of the inner journey.

The true Master never helps, they support. We always want to help everyone around us to satisfy our ego and control others. For us our possessiveness and ego is more important. So we always prefer to help. Another reason for helping others and not supporting others is because we are mentally lazy. We have not recognized this disease. If we can recognize our disease immediately at least we become alert towards ourselves. Many things will open in our life. We will become Mature.

Mental health is synonymous with maturity, and maturity is born of responsibility. You cannot be mentally or emotionally healthy if you are irresponsible. People with maturity understand a great truth; they understand that life is difficult. In being able to accept this fact about life, mature people learn to handle life in all of its difficulties, not expecting it to be different. They have learned to accept that not everything in life is going to be their way, show up in the way they thought it would and nor will the world change on its axis to make them happier. Mature people know for any change to happen it has to come from within themselves, and this is where success or failure develop.

Rabindranath Tagore has said beautifully when the person becomes Mature he takes every circumstance as a Blissful Moment:

Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky.

Learning from the story Great Obstacle: Be Mature

Experience Learning

The only way to live a more fulfilling, successful and purpose-driven life is when the choice is made to fully develop and live the attitudes and principles of a matured person.

Seekers of self-mastery.

Mature people are passionate about self-development, psychology and understanding the inner workings of themselves and the workings of the world. They are open to learn and apply the principles they gain from their explorations in personal development to all areas of their life. This type of growth-mindset keeps mature people living more conscious and aware lives because they are able to live according to the life principles and wisdom gained both trough their own and the experiences of others.

Mature people typically have a team around them, from therapists to coaches to keep them in check and on the path to living a life they love. Because they are supported, guided and in the action of practicing the right attitudes and life principles, mature people more easily overcome the challenges that life inevitably brings them. Through self-mastery mature people learn the art of turning life’s lemons into lemonade.

Emotionally intelligent.

Life is going to be full of problems. The acceptance of this allows mature people to stay calm and think more clearly during life’s more difficult moments. The whole process of meeting and solving problems is what gives life its deeper meaning. Mature people have established the emotional intelligence necessary to understand that life’s difficulties are the cutting edge of what distinguishes one from being a success or a failure.

Problems call forth our courage and wisdom. It is only through being able to walk calmly and bravely through difficulties that the mature develop any sense of trust in God, life or in themselves. It is through this process they grow emotionally and mentally. As Benjamin Franklin says “Those things that hurt, instruct.” The emotionally mature learn not to dread, but to welcome life’s challenges for this very reason.

Positive attitude.

A positive attitude comes naturally to the mature person. They have faith in the concept that with enough hard work, patience and persistence things will work out. This type of attitude keeps mature people in a state of harmony with themselves and others because from their vantage point there is a way to make every situation a win-win experience. They have mastered the principles of being in mutually beneficial relationships and staying out of relationships which do not serve them or their highest good.