The Buddha said that forbearance is the greatest incinerator of defilements ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro
The Buddha said that forbearance is the greatest incinerator of defilements. There can be no development in Dhamma practice without it. Forbearance means making peace with the unpleasant things that, right now cannot be changed. Allowing ourselves to be irritated by heat and cold, and even mild levels of hunger and thirst means that we are far from the path. If we lose our temper when we can't get what we want or can't get rid of what we don't want, we are acting like a child.
Breathing in and breathing out calmly, we should reflect that without patience we create bad kamma that will bear fruit in the future in far more suffering than the present discomfort provides. Having practised forbearance with all the small irritations of life, meeting big challenges like severe physical pain, we are well-prepared. Letting go of the anger, resistance and self-pity that can arise when we meet the unpleasant gives great strength to the mind, and great joy.
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