Turning Around and Going Ahead

On the path of life, sometimes we need to go straight ahead, other times we have to make turns in order to reach our goals. If we do not turn around when we need to, we will not “see the other shore.” But when we need to move ahead and we do not, we will miss a prime opportunity.

When we have to make a turn on the road of life, we have to decide whether to go right or left. We cannot make the wrong turn. And in moving ahead, we need to know if we are going to move fast or slow, close up or far away. 

Regrettably, when we need to go ahead on the path of life, some choose to make a turn. But when it is time to turn, they charge straight ahead. Thus, they create many difficulties for themselves in life.

There are many examples in Chinese history where battles were lost and dynasties fell because emperors and generals failed to make the proper turn when required, or stopped when they should have charged ahead. As a result, they failed within reach of success. 

Of course, there were others who made all the right moves at the right time and gained an eminent place in history.  Venerable Master Chien Chen voyaged to Japan seven times in his life. He was undeterred by the first six failures. By going ahead, he finally succeeded in bringing Buddhism and the Chinese culture to Japan and was honored as the father of Japanese culture. Venerable Master Xuan Zhang went straight ahead on his path to India and was successful in bringing Buddhist sutras back to China. Sakyamuni Buddha was determined to achieve Buddhahood and finally reached his goal.

Confucius never intended to take up an official position. But he realized that the power of politics could help in fostering academics and education, and so was willing to take up a post with the imperial court. His is an illustration of someone who knew how to make the right turns in life.

In the battlefield, sometimes we need to charge bravely ahead. Other times we have to re-route our strategy. In opening a highway to the top of a mountain, we need to wind and turn around the slopes. We cannot go straight up, without winding and turning. 

As the saying goes, “There are many doors of convenience, but only one truth to reach for.” On the path of life, as long as we can reach our destination, why should we be attached to any single way? When the road ahead is blocked, why not detour to another one? Therefore, we need not be confrontational in our attitude toward others. Not giving up an inch does not necessarily bring us victory. If we can sail according to the winds, and make proper turns along the way, then the path of life ahead will be smooth sailing.

This article was originally published in Between Ignorance and Enlightenment, written by Venerable Master Hsing Yun.

Image from Pixabay.

More Featured Articles

Sharing joy with others is not only a virtue, it is also a delightful experience.To take delight in shared joy is to give willing support to those who are compassionate in helping the needy; it is to give genuine praise to those who have dedicated themselves to the highest achievements in life. If we want to be successful in this world, we must cultivate the Read more
What are people supposed to do when they are troubled by afflictions? Some people are troubled by very specific things, others encounter poverty, and many have poor relations with other people. Some individuals are disturbed the moment they hear even the slightest comment they do not like, or they become angry when they see someone doing something they do not approve of. This sort of Read more
In this modern world, people are constantly saying, "Life is too stressful!" Why are people so stressed out? How can we rid ourselves of stress? Students feel stressed because of heavy schoolwork; parents feel stressed because they have too many chores and family obligations; policemen feel stressed because they have too much work; and workers feel stressed and are unhappy because their work hours are Read more
In the early days of Buddhism, how did monastics observe the Way and live their lives? As the daily lives of these monastics were not one of material things, emotional ties, or sensory pleasures, they led a lives of few material things and cool emotional ties. The world within their heart was pure and their spiritual life was forever lasting. In more concrete terms, their Read more
Everyone in this world wants to have wealth and live a carefree life. They also want a good rebirth. Richness in this life and pleasure in the next are the hallmarks of a successful life.In the Sumati Sutra, the Buddha defined a "successful life" to be wealth in this life and happiness in the next life. Having wealth in the present life includes an elegant, proper appearance, Read more
The Buddhist precepts are here to protect us from wrongdoing, lead us away from what is bad, and towards what is good. Vinaya Master Daoxuan of the Tang dynasty composed the Simplified and Amended Handbook of the Four-Part Vinaya [Sifenlü Shanfan Buque Xingshi Chao], in which he analyzed the precepts in terms of their “rules,” “essence,” “practice,” and “characteristics.” When one puts the actual rules Read more
Prajna allows us to truly know how life comes and goes, and it is only with prajna that we can have the strength to face the realities of life. To survive in this world we need both wisdom and power to alleviate our hardships and overcome adverse situations.Patience gives us both wisdom and strength.Buddhism speaks of three levels of patience.The first is patience for life, Read more
If we want to understand what the Dharma teaches us about building affinity and living in harmony with others, we must first understand the four great all-embracing virtues. The Buddha teaches that for us to realize our true capacity of connecting with and serving our fellow citizens, we have to first build a good rapport, and the four virtues are tools to that end. The four Read more
It is my hope that our Buddhist monks will all become monks who give support in all directions and not become monks who live off all directions. Whoever it may be, the monastic followers or the lay disciples, although we have not yet attained enlightenment, we can still broadly make affinities with others first, so as to become aspiring bodhisattvas who will ensure that “Buddhism Read more
Many of us think that after undertaking the precepts life will become a matter of you-can’t-do-this and you-can’t-do-that. We wonder if that isn’t limiting us even more. We worry that it will mean a loss of freedom. This is why some people will question: Why should I receive the precepts and end up just limiting myself!In fact, if we were to go to a prison Read more
All my life, many have thought of me as rich, but the truth is, staying poor has always been my motto. I grew up in a poverty-stricken family, yet I never saw myself as poor, because I always felt rich in heart. Till my old age, many have thought of me as very wealthy because they believe I own many education institutes, cultural enterprises, publishing Read more
Music gives us the capacity to express deep emotions. Whether through holy hymns or chants of praise, music is capable of uplifting the mind to an almost sublime state. As such, it has a significant role in the promotion of religion.All Buddhas and bodhisattvas are very skilled in utilizing music to teach the Dharma and guide sentient beings to enlightenment.Music has a very important function Read more