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

When others out of jealousy, Treat me wrongly with abuse, slander, and scorn, May I take upon myself the defeat, And offer to others the victory. When someone hurts us, who gets hurt, the ego.  When someone abuses us, our ego tells us to react back with even harsher words. And if we are not able to do so at that moment, ego tells us to bide time and strike when the iron is hot... The question is what will 'I the Self' get from all this, the ego may feel pleasure for a small time, but 'I the Self' will have to bear the effect of these negative actions (karma). Knowing thus, the wise man will take upon self the defeat, and will offer other the victory. When someone whom I have helped Or in whom I have placed great hopes, Mistreats me in extremely hurtful ways, May I regard him still as my precious teacher. Often times we hear people complaining that I did so much for him/her and still see how ungrateful that person is. They are filled with pain and hurt because of this. P