Patience

We usually think of patience as enduring the undesirable, but patience also endures the desirable. When there is a pleasant object lobha is bound to arise and when there is an unpleasant object dosa is bound to arise. When kusala citta arises instead of akusala citta there is patience. The commentary to the Cariyapitaka Ven. Bodhi p. 261. gives the following definition of patience:

“Patience has the characteristic of acceptance; its function is to endure the desirable and the undesirable; its manifestation is tolerance or non-opposition; seeing things as they are is its proximate cause.”

Right understanding of nama and rupa which appear conditions patience, at that moment there is no attachment, no aversion. The perfection of patience has to be developed along with satipatthana. How could the Bodhisatta have such deep- rooted, endless patience? He accumulated right understanding of realities during many lives. The commentary to the Cariyapitaka Ven. Bodhi p. 281. explains how patience should be fortified by reflection in the right way. We read:

“ ‘Although this suffering arises through the wrong deeds of others, this body of mine is the field for that suffering, and the action which is its seed was sown by me alone.’ And: ‘This suffering will release me from the debt of kamma.’ And: ‘If there were no wrong-doers, how could I accomplish the perfection of patience?’ And: ‘Although he is a wrong-doer now, in the past he was my benefactor.’ And: ‘A wrong-doer is also a benefactor, for he is the basis for the developing of patience.’ ”