Tolerance for Others’ Benefit

“Just see these fortunate trees standing at one place exclusively meant for benefiting others. They not only tolerate troubles arising from torrents of rain, scorching heat, strong winds and frost, but they also help protect us from troubles arising from these elements.”

pasyataitan maha-bhagan
pararthaikanta-jivitan
vata-varsatapa-himan
sahanto varayanti nah

PURPORT BY SRI KRSNA BALARAM SWAMIJI

Here Lord Krsna explains the four points by which one is called fortunate. The first principle is to become steady in following one’s prescribed duties. The trees are doing their prescribed duty by standing in one place. The second principle is to share one’s own comforts, using them to help others. The trees provide their fruits, flowers, leaves, bark, wood, and herbs to others, without expecting anything in return for themselves. The third principle is to have unflinching faith that God will protect them, and therefore are not disturbed in any situation. The trees remain undisturbed from the problems coming from Mother Nature, thereby proving God is protecting them. The fourth principle is to allow others to know of their duties. The trees themselves teach an example of tolerance and selflessly help others. Now one may wonder, how can trees be fortunate if their duty is to always stand outside, unprotected from the elements? To this Lord Krsna uses the word parartha, for others’ benefit, indicating when one lives only to help others he is helped by the Lord. Without the helping hand from the Lord no one can survive.

The Dasama Tippani states trees are better than some saintly people. Many saints teach tolerance, but themselves cannot tolerate troubles, and if troubles arise, they make retaliating remarks. Some saints can tolerant difficulties, but are unable to help others with their troubles. Whereas trees not only tolerate disturbances from the environment, they set an altruistic example by remaining steady in their duty by standing and supplying needs to everyone, even in great calamities. As it is stated in the Canakya Niti:

muhurtam apijiveta
narah suklena karmana
na kalpam api kastena
loka-dvaya virodhina

“Even one moment of life becomes glorified for the righteous—those who do good for themselves and others. But the wicked—who do harm to themselves and others are useless, even if they live for thousands of years.”

[Srimad Bhagavatam, 10.22.32, KBS0133]