It Arises Of Its Own Accord

Human beings are born of hope. Every hope starts with something beautiful. Like a beautiful picture that we want to have. When things change in ways we do not like, then we no longer want to have it. When we possess something we dislike, suffering arises. We suffer when our hopes and dreams do not come true.

What surprised me when I first become a Buddhist monk was that my teachers would tell me that a lot of problems can be solved by just meditating and seeing that things “arise of their own accord”. This was to be an answer to most things.

So I began to investigate the meaning behind what the teachers have said, by practicing in sitting to observe. By simply watching the nature as they arise and fall of their own accord, it broadened my mind. I began to see things with a more open and un-judgmental mind. Nature does not belong to me, it is not mine to control, and it is not my place to inflict change. The truth is that I am an observer, and as observers, our duty is to observe the comings and goings of all phenomena, just as they are. When this is understood, then life becomes so much simpler.

By no means was this process simple, but with practice, I was able to train my mind to become less involved with things. I became more understanding and accepting as I allowed my mind to be more open and less stringent to one particular view. It occurred to me then, that this is what is meant by “seeing with mindfulness”, seeing it as it is, instead of seeing based on perceptions. So yes, things do arise of their own accord, just like what my teachers have always told me.

Mindfulness is one of the few things that can help us broaden our minds to develop it into an open box. We can deal with any obstacles as they arise if we understand that they, being like any other nature, will come and most importantly, will also go on their own accord. The mind is allowed to develop what’s called “wisdom” as it embraces obstacles and challenges as an object or experience for learning, rather than something to be shunned or avoided.

Some sages say to “Keep the mind clean and safe from desire” as this will keep it pure and wise. In other words, to clear out defilements from the mind in order to allow room for wisdom to grow.

A good story comes to mind that will illustrate this point well. It goes like this:

There was one temple which had a beautiful garden, looked after by one young monk. On one summer’s day he saw that the grass and plants were beginning to welter under the hot sun. So he approached his teacher and said, “Teacher, the grass is dying”. The teacher said a matter-of-factly, “It arises of its own accord, don’t worry about it”. The young monk was not satisfied with this answer and so proposed to sow new grass seeds before the rains arrive. The teacher said, “If that is what you want, then go ahead and do it”.

So the young monk went and he carried out what he had said he would do. That evening, a strong gale came. The young monk became worried about all the seeds that he had sown earlier and so approached his teacher once again for advice. He said to the teacher, “Teacher, the gales have blown all the seeds away”. The teacher said matter-of-factly, “That is OK, don’t worry about it, things arise of their own accord, don’t they?”

The young monk was unsatisfied with the answer and so continued to sow more seeds. But this time, the birds came and ate it all. Again the young monk went to see his teacher and expressed his sadness for all the loss saying “Teacher, many birds came and ate all the seeds. What shall I do?” The teacher said matter-of-factly, “Don’t worry about it; it arises of its own accord. We have more seeds, you just keep sowing”. And so the monk continued to sow.

That night, a rain storm came. The next morning the young monk woke up early as he was eager to go check on his seeds. To his disappointment, he saw that many had been washed away by the heavy rain. He went to his teacher, “Teacher, the seeds are all washed away, what shall I do?” The teacher said matter-of-factly, “Don’t worry, it arises of its own accord. Wherever the seeds have been washed to, they will sprout there”.

One day as the young monk was taking his usual stroll around the garden, he saw new grass shoots sprouting up from the ground. He was so happy that he went to see his teacher. “Teacher, the seeds that I had sown are sprouting now. Everywhere the grass is beautiful and green”. The teacher said to him matter-of-factly, “You see! I told you not to worry; it arises of its own accord. When the cause and conditions are right, then things will naturally arise”. The young monks said to his teacher “Now I understand. As things arise of their own accord, there is no point in me trying to speed up the process. The best thing to do is to stand back and watch it and it will grow of its own accord”.

So there we have it. The truth is that things arise of their own accord. When the cause and effect are right, it will give rise to something. Therefore, we should not worry about things too much. What we should do is to watch things arise and pass away, and learn from those things and see them arise of their own accord.