PATIENCE IN SPIRITUAL CULTIVATION
Master Jun Hong Lu: The third type of forbearance: both mind-cultivation and Buddhist practice require patience. It is never too late to be accomplished in your spiritual practice, as long as you are diligent. All of you who are sitting down here listening to me, are you experiencing any discomfort? You may wish to stand up and move about, but you can’t. This is patience, isn’t it? Having sat for so long, do you wish to get a sip of water?
There may be times when you find it hard not to talk back, am I right? When I reprimand my disciples, I may make mistakes in my speech, do you think they will be angry? Even if I have made a mistake and you know you have been wronged, you still have to think, “Yes, I need to be more careful”. This is what being “well-cultivated” means.
On the flip side, if you are someone who is fond of justifying your position, talk back or claim that others are in the wrong, this is what “lack of cultivation” means. Spiritual cultivation is about overcoming our shortcomings. What’s there to explain?
Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s Buddhism In Plain Terms, Volume 3 Chapter 31
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