Kindness pays back

Our present circumstances are by no means accidental. As the Buddhist sage Nichiren Daishonin wrote, quoting a sutra: ‘If you want to understand the causes that existed in the past, look at the results as they are manifested in the present. And if you want to understand what results will be manifested in the future, look at the causes that exist in the present.’

I have been immensely encouraged and motivated by these words to pursue the path of goodness even amidst unpleasant situations. The urge to give up has crept in every now and then but these lines have served as a constant reminder to persevere and not give up.  What the above lines try to convey is very simple – that our present is a result of the causes made in the past and that our future is determined by our actions or the causes we create through our thoughts, words and actions in the present.  While I have little control over my past actions, the future is very much in my control. This is an absolutely delightful and empowering thought for me. So for the sake of a brighter future, I have to be cautious about the causes I create in my present existence.

This simple awareness has been a deterrent to many negative causes that I could have created along the way. Not only does a good cause made in the present have a positive effect in the future but the effect is manifested right here and now. We all know deep within our hearts when we go wrong. When we are able to suppress that urge to do wrong and convert it to a positive cause, the feeling is one of tremendous joy. So the present becomes happy and is a bonus for the future too so a win-win situation in all cases.

This is not to say in the least that I have never faltered but the magnitude has definitely reduced with this understanding. While we have little control over the reaction of others, our responses are very much our own choice. So the key really is changing ‘oneself’ and not waiting for others to change.  Sometimes people are unreasonable, mean and rude for no reason. And to be kind to them in return is probably the most difficult thing under the sun. It is easier to ‘give it back to them’.  Having tried and tested both, I realize the first option is the better of the two. This is not the conventional route, so don’t fall into the trap of viewing it as a sign of weakness because being good to someone who is hurting you is actually a sign of tremendous strength. To choose to remain calm while someone else is instigating to bring out the devil in you is a sign of victory and the immediate benefit one derives is a sense of triumph over ones weaker self.

It is definitely a difficult task to persevere in the act of kindness to others but I am totally convinced that kindness pays back in our lives in a way greater than we imagined. It is just a matter of when. So I will strive to be patient until then and continue my acts of kindness towards others with complete sincerity in my heart. Will you?