No.27 - A mother's letter to her dear children.

Dear Ones,

The truth is best as it is. No one can alter it, neither can anyone improve it. Have faith in the truth and live it. Now you will ask, what is this mysterious truth? To know that you are infinite is truth. To find that you must always begin with yourself.

The one who has no 'I' and 'me' and 'mine' does not grieve for the unattainable. Never take delight in quarrelsome disputes or engage in controversies to show superiority of intellect or talent. Remain calm and composed with no hostile feelings in your heart towards anyone. Never abandon the disposition of charity for all beings...

No one can become a true ascetic by a shaven head alone. An undisciplined person who utters lies, is full of desire and greed, lives a life of falsehood. Silence does not make a sage. Like Buddha, follow the middle path, keep perfect balance. Let your actions speak louder than words.

Ignorance causes the ruin of the world. Envy and selfishness break human ties and hatred is the most violent of all fevers. Never deceive or despise another. Never lash out with anger or resentment, or wish to harm another. Be free. Be free from pride, vanity and ego. Have faith and wisdom and you will be respected everywhere, in every land. Teachers can only teach, but you and you alone will have to make an effort towards self-transformation.

Overcome all unruly cravings. Be moderate. Health is the highest gain; don't ruin it for the sake of vanity by starving yourself to be thin and taking dangerous drugs to achieve it. In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna tells Arjuna: "A harmony in eating and resting, in sleeping and wakefulness, in whatever the action, brings freedom from all pain." A harmonious mind finds a place of rest in the spirit within, where all restless desires disappear in the vast ocean of joy and truth, where the mind becomes steady and fully content and the greatest upheavals can no longer disturb it. Contentment is the greatest wealth.

Victory breeds hatred; the defeated live in pain. Happily, the peaceful live with the wisdom of giving up both victory and defeat. Buddha said it is not life, wealth and power that enslave men, but clinging and craving for more and more. The one who is not bound to wealth or power, who uses it rightly, will be a blessing to others. Always inspect your thoughts before you act, for as we sow, so shall we reap. Seek the welfare of others and bring back those who have gone astray and enlighten them who live in the night of error.

Whatever may be the cause of your suffering, never wound another, be gentle, show kindness. Benevolence towards all beings is the very heart of true religion. Cherish in your heart boundless love and compassion to all that lives...

All creation arose from the desire of the cosmic mind to create. Desire, therefore, is the fuel behind the manifested universe. Everything we perceive from the simple to the very complex arose from desire. However, that is very different from ego-based desire, which is only motivated by selfish fulfillment. Ego-based desire is the root cause of all suffering. Therefore, constant feeding of desires is not the key to happiness, but renunciation and discrimination provide the answer. That simply means giving up the lesser for the greater, and, the uncertain for the certain. Meditate in solitude and try to perceive the fleeting nature of the world. Gradually discrimination will awaken to remind us to be effortless in our quest and to finally dwell in a state of unchanging oneness...

Mother

No.26 - A letter from a father to his little son.

Adapted from Rajesh Mani –The Times Of India

Dear Pranav,

It's been 20 months since you set foot in the world. When I held you for the first time in my arms at the hospital, your tiny hands were twitching and your eyes were shut tight.

Your clenched fist reminded me of a science lesson that said to get an idea about the size of your heart, you should clench your fist. I could imagine the little heart throbbing inside you. The eternal miracle of birth. When it was my turn to witness it, I cried.

Before I married your mother, I used to debate one question endlessly with my friend. Which is, "Is it really worth bringing another life into this world?" Especially when terror has become an ugly leitmotif in the canvas of our lives?

When I switched on the TV that Wednesday night, the question of whether I was right in bringing you into this world haunted me again.

This is my attempt at an answer. Call it catharsis.

I feel there are two ways to raise you. One is to wean you on cynicism. Where you'll erect a sky-high wall in your mind and live your life pouring scorn on everything you see. Which is one way of insulating yourself from fear... A kind of indifferent machismo.

The other way is to prepare you to live in this world. I can't imagine the world for you, son. But i can certainly show you the way to live in an uncertain world. Make a pact with yourself. Understand the following early on.

Life is precious. And equally fragile. So every day is a gift. Get up early once in a while just to watch the sun rise. Stare at it intently and burn it in your memory. Be aware of every passing second. Look around you. There's a thin stalk of plant finding its place under the sun in a crevice on the wall of our apartment.

Appreciate mother's cooking. Praise it to heavens... Make it a habit to eat together as a family. No, make it a rule. Fall in love with books. Words will transport you to worlds far away. It will also keep you informed and prepared.

Follow your heart. The mind can waver but the heart seldom does. Respect your conscience. It's like a post-it note from God.

When you grow up, seek a job you love. As you enter the world of careers and cocktails, you'll get sucked into a vortex called rat race. Don't be overwhelmed. We're all human. But have the courage to step out of it. Nothing will be lost. Some illusions will shatter. Good riddance.

Money. It's important. But it has its place. Don't make the mistake of putting it right on top.

Find your love. Hold it dearly. Be a good husband. A patient father. Give your children space to make their mistakes. But hold them when they fall.

Speak up when you have to. Like this occasion. Whether we like it or not, we're living in a democracy. Sure it has its pitfalls. But don't forget the positives too. The real fight in a democracy is between remembering and forgetting. Go and vote. It's your chance to give shape to the kind of society you want to live in.

Be alert. But try not to live in a state of fear.

It you were to get caught in a situation similar to what happened and should we lose you, then you will have left us with enough lovely memories for the remaining years. That will only happen if you start living every day like it is the last day of your life. Though it can never compensate your loss, at least we'll find strength in your love for life.

Don't have regrets. They defeat the very purpose of life.

Immersed as I am in work most of the time, this letter is also a wake-up call for me.

Love, Dad

No.24 - The Holy Teaching of Vimalakirti.

The Dharma-Door of Nonduality.

Then, the Licchavi Vimalakirti asked those bodhisattvas, “Good sirs, please explain how the bodhisattvas enter the Dharma-door of nonduality!”

Thereupon, thirty-one bodhisattvas expressed their views on nonduality. I quote three of these expressions as examples:

The bodhisattva Srigandha declared, ‘I’ and ‘mine’ are two. If there is no presumption of a self, there will be no possessiveness. Thus, the absence of presumption is the entrance into nonduality.’…

The bodhisattva Tisya declared, ‘Good’ and ‘evil’ are two. Seeking neither good nor evil, the understanding of the nonduality of the significant and the meaningless is the entrance into nonduality…

The bodhisattva Suddhadhimukti declared, ‘ To say, ‘This is happiness’ and ;That is misery’ is dualism. One who is free of all calculations, through the extreme purity of gnosis – his mind is aloof, like empty space; and thus he enters into nonduality.’

And near the end we read:

When the bodhisattvas had given their explanations, they all addressed the crown prince Manjusri: “Manjusri, what is the bodhisattva’s entrance into nonduality?”
Manjusri replied. “Good sir, you have all spoken well. Nevertheless, all your explanations are themselves dualistic. To know no one teaching, to express nothing, to say nothing, to explain nothing, to express nothing, to indicate nothing, and to designate nothing – that is the entrance into nonduality.”

Then the crown prince Manjusri said to the Licchavi Vimalakirti, “We have all given our own teachings, noble sir. Now, may you elucidate the teaching of the entrance into the principle of nonduality!”

Thereupon, the Licchavi Vimalakirti kept his silence, saying nothing at all.
The crown prince Manjusri applauded the Licchavi Vimalakirti: “Excellent! Excellent, noble sir! This is indeed the entrance into the nonduality of the bodhisattvas. Here there is no use for syllables, sounds, and ideas.”

No.23 - Dedications of Virtuous Merits.

When the monk Bodhidharma went from India to China he was welcomed by Emperor Liang. The emperor asked him, "What merit have I gained since I built so many temples, erected so many pagodas, made so many offerings to Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha and did numerous other virtuous deeds?" Bodhidharma's reply greatly disappointed Emperor Liang. Bodhidharma said, "Your Majesty, there is none. You have gained no merit. What you have done produces only worldly rewards, that is, good fortune, great power, or great wealth in your future lives, but you will still be wondering around in samsara."

Buddha often emphasized that to study and explain to others even a few sentences of the teachings that show how to be rid of samsara creates infinitely greater merit than making tremendous offerings to as many Buddhas all over the universe as there are grains of sand in the great Ganges River.

One who makes numerous offerings to the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, helps sentient beings, and does many good deeds, and yet dedicates all the merits accumulated thereby to one's own or one's relatives' interest such as making more money or enjoying a longer or better present or future life produces limited effects.

One who does those same good deeds but dedicates all the merit to saving sentient beings from suffering in samsara receives much greater merit than the one with selfish purposes.

And one who does the same good deeds with no specific purpose or desire at all receives infinitely greater merit than the two mentioned above.

No.21 - Kindness

When Mahatma Gandhi was in South Africa, he once went to a hotel and ordered food. Since he was well-known for his struggle for justice for fellow Indians, the waiter recognized him. He was delighted and treated him with great respect.Gandhi noticed this, when he finished his meal, he paid the bill and said smilingly; "thank you, young man." The waiter looked shocked,"What did you say,sir?"
"Well,thank you," Gandhi replied. The waiter was overwhelmed. He said, "Sir, you are the first one to thank me for doing my job. Everyone takes our services for granted as they pay for them. I shall never forget your kindness." He then took Gandhi's hand and kissed it.
KIND WORDS CAN BE SHORT AND EASY TO SPEAK BUT THEIR ECHOES ARE TRULY ENDLESS............
In our busy life we usually tend to forget to use kind words, with our friends, our parents and everyone around. Therefore, please try to be little polite and warm towards everyone. The merits would be great.

No.20 - Letting Go And Be Free.

There is a kind of monkey trap used in Asia. A coconut is hollowed out and attached by a rope to a tree or stake in the ground. At the bottom of the coconut a small slit is made and some sweet food is placed inside. The hole on the bottom of the coconut is just big enough for the monkey to slide in his open hand, but does not allow for a closed fist to pass out. The monkey smells the sweets, reaches in with his hand to grasp the food and is then unable to withdraw it.
The clenched fist won't pass, through the opening. When the hunters come, the monkey becomes frantic but cannot get away. There is no one keeping that monkey captive, except the force of its own attachment. All that it has to do is to open the hand. But so strong is the force of greed in the mind that it is a rare monkey which can let go.
It is the desires and clinging in our minds which keep us trapped. All we need to do is to open our hands, let go of our selves, our attachment and be free.