Forbearance

Forbearance means patience.  More precisely, it means "putting up with," enduring.  We have been trained to look out for No. One, take care of ourselves, and not put up with unpleasant people or situations.  But in effect, it is impossible to live a life completely devoid of unpleasantness.  If you go hide in the mountains to meditate, eventually you will become lonely.  If you spend your days at the beach, you may miss your family and friends, you may even develop skin cancer, not to mention the fact that without stimulus, your brain may shrink.  There are many situations that must be endured.  For example, eating a healthy diet on a consistent basis requires some forbearance, because it means doing without some of our more pleasurable foods.  Being married requires forbearance, as we iron our differences and establish a modus vivendi with out spouse.  So does raising children require forbearance.  Likewise, being single requires forbearance, as does making a living.

Every life situation requires some measure of forbearance.  The ability to endure with serenity is the virtue to be aspired to.  If forbearance is a given, our attitude toward it may require work.