Dialogue

Young man, have you forgotten what your teacher had taught you?

No, I have not forgotten.

What did he taught you?

That there are things which are within my power, and there are things which aren't.

And what are these exactly?

The things which are within my power are things that depend on my will. The other things are beyond my will.

Now, knowing this, what do you want to say about your life?

The only way I could live my life is then to make sure that my life follows its true nature. To put my desire and aversion on the things which are within my power.

Give me an example!

I do not know my destiny. I do not know what kind of life or what kind of task that God has prepared for me. Those are beyond my knowing, beyond my will. But I do see what I could do at the moment.

And what is that?

To do the work on the task laid on before me, to the best of my capability and gift, which are given by God. To play my role as it fits me at the moment, while not wanting more or doing less of it—this thing I could do.

Do you know the consequences of it?

I do know. Since I am following my nature, there will be a time that I am capable of doing great tasks, but there is a time when waiting is the only option. This situation is similar to nature, as the sun would not always shine, and the eagle would not always be on the hunt.

What about the people's reaction to that?

There will be among my friends and families who are disappointed in me, angry at me, or lose their trust in me, because of this.

What do you make of it?

To do—again—what is within my power. To explain, to comfort, to take responsibility for the things I have made. But their anger, their sadness, or their disappointment are beyond my power. It is beyond my ability to change their state since they depend on other things than my will.

They are not the things which are in your power?

Indeed.

How should you react to the things which are not within your power?

If it affects me, then to prepare for it to the best of my capabilities. If it affects me not, or I have done the preparation that I could do, then to let it falls under the care of God and the Universe. For God is the Lord of all things, and all things conform to His will and power.

All these you should remember and practice. The training of virtue is not on memorizing the books and wise sayings, or in the drills of logic and arguments; it comes from practice. And do you know the sign of the wise?

No, I know not.

The wise has this sign: there is no contradiction on what they are thinking about, what they say with their tongue, and what they do in life. They blame neither God, situation, nor people, and they gratefully accept what life gives him. Ever you found a person with that sign, learn from that person.


Bremen, 30 May 2017 #dialogue