Creative Writings and Musings

Image source: http://maxpixel.freegreatpicture.com/Human-Friends-Hiking-Leisure-Rest-Meeting-Group-2156513 One day as Lord Buddha was on his way to ask for alms, he found a young boy Sigala offering prostrations to the six directions.  Seeing him Buddha asked the young Boy what he is doing the boy replied his father had instructed him to prostrate thus so as to increase prosperity and wealth Buddha said this is not the right way to prostrate. The curious Sigala then requested the enlightened one to shed light on the right way to prostrate, for increasing prosperity and wealth. Buddha also told him about how to identify good friends and foes disguised as friends. We will talk about foes disguised as friends in another post. Today we talk about four types of good friends as told by Tathagat to the young Sigala: Helper Friend : Helper friend protects you when you are vulnerable. He guides you, counsels you against wasting your wealth. He helps you in protecting your wealth. When you are a

We all search for happiness and peace, and most of the times it eludes us. Perhaps we are looking it at wrong places, through wrong means. The law of Karma says that we reap what we sow. This means that, if we want to reach a state, where we can even become aware of the path of true happiness we have to first sow the right karmas, the good Karmas. But, how do we know what is right and what is wrong?  Lord Buddha gave to all people, especially the householders, who cannot leave their houses and have a duty towards their parents, their children, their spouses, a guide, commonly known as the Five Percepts: Panatipata veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami :  " I undertake the precept to refrain from destroying living creatures".  Lord Buddha says we should not involve in activities which kill any other sentient being. Each life is precious, and human life even more so. Let us not waste this precious life by killing other beings, or by becoming a cause of killing/destroying other beings

Revenge, tit for tat: our literature, movies are full of stories where these feelings are not only highlighted but also shown as heroic feelings. Whether it is Shakespeare, or the Sidney Sheldon, the best sellers are ones where the revenge is the main theme. A child has to avenge the killing of his father, if some one behaves badly with you it is ok to give him/her back piece of his/her own cake. It seems that teaching other a lesson is our favorite pastime. Let us explore what Buddha says about this. In Dhammapada, Yamakvagga verse3-6, Lord Buddha tells his disciples: Akkocchi mam avadhi mam  ajini mam ahasi me ye ca tam  upanayhanti  veram tesam na sammati. Akkocchi: abused, scolded; mam: me; avadhi: hurt, bound, limit; ajini: conquered; ahasi: taken something by force; me: me; ye: they; ca: and; tam: that;  upanayhanti: grumbles at;  veram:hatred, jealousy; tesam: their; na: not; sammati: cease, is appeased. "(He/She/They) abused me, hurt me, conquered me, stole things from me&