Open mindedness, dedication and patience

One can do what other can do. Then what makes us different from others in what we can do and have archived?

If you ask me it's the receptiveness, patience and dedication. Receptiveness is also can be called as open mindedness. If we observe us closely we are open for things which are interesting for us, which make us happy. But at the same time we block the ideas which makes us uncomfortable, uneasy. What makes one uncomfortable might be well received by some other person.

As a normal human being we do not want to venture in unknown territory. We want to be in comfort zone avoiding to confront the unknowns. It requires lot of courage to venture in unknowns knowingly. One can not achieve status-quo for long time in life when life itself is like flowing water in river, ever changing like time. We try not to change ourselves with time and end up in misery as everything has changed with time.

Once a well known yogi went to a person who was well versed in Upanishads. He told him that he is great yogi and came there to learn about Upanishads. Learned man told yogi to come on next day. When yogi went back, again he was told to come next day. This happened three-four times and yogi lost his temper. He asked the learned man why he is not teaching him Upanishads. He told him that ' I know you are great yogi but you are still not eligible for gaining the Upanishads knowledge'. And he told yogi to come back after a year.

So what went against the yogi? The ego of being a great yogi and thinking that learned man will easily being impressed and he will readily accept him as deciple. Another factor went against him was the patience. Probably he would have been asked to come couple of times more and the guru would have been satisfied with his urge (Bhakti) and yogi would have been passed to his criteria.

Haven't we do the same thing every where we go and try to learn something? We always consider ourselves superior that the person teaching us. We do criticize him about what he does not know, about his teaching style, timings and so on , rather than being receptive to what he knows and gain it and move on. Not always we requires the guru to explain the things, anything in universe can express themselves provided we have patience, dedication ( Bhakti) and receptiveness (open mindedness). Innovation is the one of the example of where things explaining themselves and Innovators receiving the knowledge. Then what makes scientists like Einstein, Madam Curie different than common man? The qualities like open mindedness, dedication and patience.

This does not apply to only gaining knowledge. It applies to wherever we are at receiving side. Be it a patient receiving treatment from doctor or be it a student receiving knowledge from teacher and so on...