“Then the Blessed One, having understood Brahma’s invitation, out of compassion for beings, surveyed the world with the eye of an Awakened One. … Just as in a pond of blue or red or white lotuses, some lotuses — born and growing in the water — might flourish while immersed in the water, without rising up from the water; some might stand at an even level with the water; while some might rise up from the water and stand without being smeared by the water — so too, surveying the world with the eye of an Awakened One, the Blessed One saw beings with little dust in their eyes and those with much, those with keen faculties and those with dull, those with good attributes and those with bad, those easy to teach and those hard, some of them seeing disgrace and danger in the other world.” ~ From the Ayacana Sutta, Samyutta Nikaya VI.1

“To live for results would be to sentence myself to continuous frustration. My only sure reward is in my actions and not from them.” ~ Hugh Prather

“There is only one true success: to be able to spend your life in your own way.” ~ Christopher Morley

For several weeks the newly awakened Buddha remained in the vicinity of the Bodhi Tree contemplating from different angles the Dhamma, the truth he had discovered. Then he came to a new crossroad in his spiritual career: Was he to teach, to try to share his realization with others, or should he instead remain quietly in the forest, enjoying the bliss of liberation alone?

At first his mind inclined to keeping quiet; for he thought the truth he had realized was just too deep for others to understand, too difficult to express in words, and he was concerned he would just weary himself trying to convey his realization to others. But now the texts introduce a dramatic element into the story. Just at the moment the Buddha decided to remain silent, a high deity named Brahma Sahampati, the Lord of a Thousand Worlds, realized that if the Master remained silent the world would be lost, deprived of the stainless path to deliverance from suffering. Therefore he descended to earth, bowed down low before the Enlightened One, and humbly pleaded with him to teach the Dhamma “for the sake of those with little dust in their eyes.”

The Buddha then gazed out upon the world with his profound vision. He saw that people are like lotuses in a pond at different stages of growth, and he understood that just as some lotuses close to the surface of the water need only the sun’s rays to rise above the surface and fully blossom, so there are some people who need only to hear the noble teaching to win enlightenment and gain perfect liberation of mind. When he saw this his heart was stirred by deep compassion, and he decided to go back into the world and to teach the Dhamma to those who were ready to listen.

It is tempting at times to try to enlighten or “fix” the least conscious people in our lives — often because they the ones who are causing the most distress to themselves and others. Let’s remember that only “those who are ready to listen” are going to be able to potentially receive and understand our insights.

Often a strategic withdrawal (from contact with the problem person or persons) is the best solution. When we refuse to participate in negative interactions, we preserve our own peace of mind. We also conserve vast amounts of time and energy which can be more productively spent in interacting with “those with little dust” — people who are willing and able to benefit from our insights.

Here’s to the freshness and fun of new beginnings!

As we go through the day, and as innumerable things vie for our attention, let us do our best to remember:

“Love is by far the most important thing of all.” ~ Emmet Fox