The Chinese Bamboo Teaching

We live in a society that favors quick-fix-instant results on what we decide to take on. I have even heard it said that our attention spans are getting shorter. In this giddy-up world, I can see a lot of truth in these ideas.

Feeling discouraged?

Have you ever started a project whether it be a business venture, spiritual or meditation practice, weight-loss or fitness program, or a writing project, only to cave before seeing any results? After some way into a project you might have thought the undertaking was futile and that your efforts were ineffective, causing you to simply lose interest. You might have given up in frustration just when you were about to see the fruits of your efforts.

I have done this many times … and I know I have plenty of company.

There is a teaching on the virtues of patience, perseverance, and faith. It is one of my favorite teachings and one that I need to pay attention to, badly. The teaching is of the Chinese Bamboo.

The growth of the Bamboo

The story begins with the planting of a tiny bamboo seed. The seed is watered and nurtured and as time passes, one might begin to wonder why it has not germinated. You will wait a year and see no sign of life. You will water and nurture for another year, and nothing. A third year after the planting and still no sign of any growth. A fourth year, and still nothing. A fifth year and … nothing. Then finally after five years, at long last … behold! A tiny sprout pushes through the earth. At this stage of growth the plant grows at such a speed that you can almost watch it evolve. The plant continues to grow until it towers at a height of ninety feet, or twenty-seven meters, in just six weeks.

What now lies beneath this tree is a root system so large and intricate it allows the bamboo to stand tall, able to hold its own in height and weight. The plant is able to withstand winds which would ultimately topple the plant if not for its massive root system which had taken five years to develop.

Very impressive.

What can we learn from the Chinese bamboo? Plenty.

The Chinese bamboo teaches about developments happening when ready, not necessarily when we want them to. To me it is not about timing but about preparedness. With all the factors that go into a project it might seem overwhelming or take longer to see results than you expect. Yet, what may be evolving underground is a magnificent conglomeration of whatever you are building or creating.

Once you make a decision to start something such as the planting of a seed, the process begins. If you hold fast to your project and pay attention you will witness the teachings and epiphanies along the way that will ultimately make up a strong foundation for your own venture. The task is to trust in the process that will eventually offer you the means to help withstand the winds of challenge and to know that the end result will be your treasure.

For instance, your spiritual practice may take years to build before you see the results of your efforts. In fact adversity, confusion, and setbacks also make up the complexity of all your twists and turns. This may offer nuggets of wisdom like a bank from which you can draw.

Keep the faith

So, the message is clear. Before tossing your hands in the air while withering in the seat of defeat, think about how much faith you are willing to put into making your dream a reality. You might not be aware of how much you are growing and healing or how your project is developing until sometime later on your path.

Keep the faith and rise up strong and tall, held up by your magnificent root system and reap the rewards of what you have believed in and felt inspired to create.

Joyful journeying.