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TEACHINGS | EASTERN HORIZON 11
Discovering the art of waiting –
the importance of patience and
impatience in Buddhism
By Dr Jochen Weber
From a Buddhist perspective, to distract ourselves from the
however, waiting is not seen as an unpleasant experience of waiting; we
obstacle, but as an opportunity check the smartphone, we get lost in
for growth and the development thought, or we bark at someone.
of wisdom. In this article we will
look at waiting from different Buddhism invites us to explore the
perspectives. We try to look at nature of waiting and our reactions
waiting in a different way, as an to it with mindfulness. It emphasizes
opportunity to practice the art of the impermanence or non-
patience and equanimity. permanence of all things (annica),
including moments of waiting. By
First I waited slowly, then faster recognizing the impermanence of
A medical doctor who founded and faster. Karl Valentin, German our (unpleasant) experiences of
and now heads the German comedian, 1881-1948 waiting, we can cultivate patience
Buddha-Stiftung, Jochen has been and accept the present moment
on Buddha's path together with https://www.projekt-gutenberg. as it is without being captured by
Stephen and Martine Batchelor org/valentin/brillant/chap021.html impatience. In this sense, times of
for 25 years. He has been waiting are free time for conscious
meditation and MBSR teacher for Waiting – just wasted time? mindfulness practice.
20 years. Jochen gives Dhamma
talks, leads meditations and Waiting is a common experience of Persevering patience is the most
discussion groups, and organizes all life on this planet. Plants wait for important virtue (of an ethical life)
the events of Buddha-Stiftung. the right external conditions before
they bloom their flowers. Insects and Dhammapada 184 (Free German
animals wait for prey, people wait translation by BuddhaFoundation
Since the Corona pandemic, for trains, the ‘great love’, a creative of an English version of the
waiting has once again entered idea, or for an illness to get better. Dhammapada on suttacentral.net,
our consciousness as a central Everyone waits, but our reactions to
and unavoidable part of life. In our it can vary greatly. Some find waiting Patience is more than passive
fast-paced world, we had become frustrating and stressful and become perseverance
accustomed to the fact that many restless, irritable and impatient
things are just a mouse click away. (dukkha), while others approach it In Buddhism, patience is considered
But whether we are standing in with a sense of calm (upekkha). When a virtue and an essential quality
a line, waiting for an answer, or we are forced to wait, such as in a for an ethical life to practice. In
expecting a certain outcome, waiting traffic jam or a line at a checkout, we order to cultivate patience, we must
and impatience are often siblings. often begin to engage in something develop an unbiased understanding
