Kshama, the Grandest and Noblest Virtue

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Kshama, the Grandest and Noblest Virtue

 

True and Selfless Love manifests as Sacrifice. Such Love knows no

hatred. It envelops the entire Universe, and is capable of drawing

near even those who are seemingly far away. Love it is that

transforms the human into the Divine. In the phenomenal world, you

come across many shades and derivatives of this Primordial Love. You

love your father, mother, brother, sister, friends and so on. In all

such cases, there is always a tinge of selfishness somewhere or the

other. Divine Love, on the other hand, is totally free of even the

slightest trace of selfishness. You must surrender to such Love,

become completely submerged by it, and experience the Bliss it

confers.

 

For acquiring such Love, the quality of Kshama or forbearance is a

vital necessity. Every individual must cultivate this noble quality.

Kshama is not achieved by reading books or learnt from an

instructor. Nor can it be received as a gift from someone else. This

prime virtue Kshama can be acquired solely by self-effort, that is,

by facing diverse problems squarely, enduring difficulties of

various sorts, not giving in to anxieties, and bearing with

equanimity suffering as well as sorrow. In the absence of Kshama,

man becomes susceptible to various evil tendencies. Hatred and

jealousy easily take root in a person lacking this virtue.

Kshama is the grandest and the noblest among virtues. The troubles

the country is currently passing through are largely due to the

absence of this noble quality of Kshama. Without Kshama, mankind

becomes degraded and starts declining, but if it has this quality

then it can progress in leaps and bounds. Kshama is thus the very

breath of life.

 

Everything must have a basis. For spiritual progress and

advancement, Kshama is the real basis or foundation. When Kshama

disappears, disturbance sets in and there is decline. Great

countries have lost their glory, prestige and reputation for this

reason. Patience is therefore a virtue that must be assiduously

cultivated, by individuals as well as nations, if troubles and

tribulations are to be successfully faced. Without patience and the

capacity for forbearance, one becomes spiritually weak. When

patience is gone, the greatest of men get reduced to utter fools.

The importance of Kshama cannot be over-stressed. This virtue is

best cultivated under adverse circumstances, and one must therefore

gladly welcome troubles instead of regarding them as unwelcome.

Jealousy is the greatest enemy of man, and it takes root when Kshama

is absent. If you possess the virtue of Kshama, then none of these

enemies can come anywhere near you. Cultivation of Kshama must

therefore be an important priority. No doubt you will face many

difficulties during life's journey, but bravely march on, taking

courage from the fact that once you have Kshama there is nothing

that you cannot achieve.

 

Excerpts from a Discourse of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba

 

http://www.radiosai.org/Journals/01AUG31/Blossoms/SSSpeaks.htm