The Wisdom of Life

This law of nature does not exclusively apply to trees: it is a universal law. In every field, we need to realize that nature shall follow its own course and consequently it would take its own time to get the desired result. Only then can we observe patience and calm; otherwise one cannot attain any worthwhile goal by deviating from laws of nature and realistic thinking. What can I do to bring value to this world? T here is a very illustrative lesson from the life of George Bernard Shaw, the Irish playwright and critic. In earlier times, Ireland was not a place for quality education. Once an Irish person expressed his despair to Shaw about the community lagging behind in education. Upon enquiring, Shaw learnt that the person was also uneducated. Shaw told him to first go and secure education for himself so that at least one person in the community shall no longer remain illiterate. So, the message is: Identify where the world lacks value and then fill that gap by first starting from yourself. What wisdom can we gain from nature? N ature manifests wisdom in all phenomena. If we can observe nature and understand its language, if we are prepared to extract lessons from these kinds of news items, then certainly we shall live in peace and tranquillity. A human being is an imperfect being in the midst of a perfect world. The stars and the planets, wind and water, trees and animals, are all just as they should be. They do not deviate from the path prescribed for them in nature. The very fact that our imperfect human world lies in the midst of a much larger, perfect natural world, shows us what our aim in life should be. We must first try to understand the world around us, and then strive to base our lives on the principles that function in the rest of the universe. The law of nature in this world is that difficulties and problems will always exist alongside happiness and joy. One cannot be detached from the other. Just as we cannot detach thorns from a rose plant, similarly we cannot detach unpleasant circumstances from situations of joy. No person can enjoy a life of absolute comfort such as when he is completely devoid of sorrow. But this should not worry us. As the Quran says: With every hardship there is ease. (Quran 94:5)