Thought

"Miser do not go to heaven;

Fools indeed do not praise liberality

But the wise rejoice in giving

And thereby gain happiness thereafter"

Dhammapada 177

Truth

Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.

Unknown source

Buddhist Chant - Hanshan Temple

Quote

Morning Celebration - Karunesh

A Short Tale

A birth. A dream. A search. A love. A reality. A realization. A devotion. A death.

Lopamudra

Waiting

Still moon, empty nights,
A lonely owl hoots unheard;
Gentle breeze, whispering trees,
A lonely soul cries unseen;
Falling leaves, chill air,
All are me waiting for you.


lopamudra

Love Poem

Here with you

I could remain

For countless days and years,

Silent as the bright moon,

We gazed at together.

--- Teishin

If your heart

Remains unchanged,

We will be bound as tightly,

As an endless vine

For ages and ages.

--- Ryokan

Chetan Bhagat's Reminder

Last Words of Ryokan

My legacy -
What will it be?
Flowers in spring,
The cuckoo in summer,
And the crimson maples
Of autumn...

Random Existences

the dead has once again stirred...
with call of the mountains in the heart..
song of the seas in the soul...
a restless spirit awaits the vision.
Till then eyes reach out to the skies...
breath flies over the seas...
a sigh leaves the voice
wanting to break free
to natures' arms.
the dead stirs....

lopamudra

Those Who Love The Most

Those who love the most,
Do not talk of their love,
Francesca, Guinevere,
Deirdre, Iseult, Heloise,
In the fragrant gardens of heaven
Are silent, or speak if at all
Of fragile inconsequent things.

And a woman I used to know
Who loved one man from her youth,
Against the strength of the fates
Fighting in somber pride
Never spoke of this thing,
But hearing his name by chance,
A light would pass over her face.

.....Those Who Love by Sara Teasdale (1884-1933

Slow Dance

The Other Truth

The thrashing truths, the scorching pains,
The mounting losses, the skimpy gains,
The misty dream, the distant call,
The flimsy mirage, the silent fall,
Reminds whoever you may be
Life is karma, life is destiny.

lopamudra

The Power of 3 Little Words

Some of the most significant messages people deliver to one another often come in just three words. When spoken or conveyed, those statements have the power to forge new friendships, deepen old ones and restore relationships that have cooled. The following three-word phrases can enrich every relationship.

I'LL BE THERE - Being there for another person is the greatest gift we can give. When we are truly present for other people, important things happen to them and to us. We are renewed in love and friendship. We are restored emotionally and spiritually. 'Being there' is at the very very core of civility.


I MISS YOU - Perhaps more marriages could be salvaged and strengthened if couples simply and sincerely said to each other, "I miss you." This powerful affirmation tells partners they are wanted, needed, desired and loved.


I RESPECT YOU - Respect is another way of showing love. Respect conveys the feeling that
another person is a true equal. It is a powerful way to affirm the importance of a relationship.


MAYBE YOU'RE RIGHT - This phrase is highly effective in diffusing an argument and restoring
frayed emotions. The flip side of "maybe you're right" is the humility of admitting "maybe I'm wrong."


PLEASE FORGIVE ME - Many broken relationships could be restored and healed if people would admit their mistakes and ask for forgiveness. All of us are vulnerable to faults, foibles and failures. A man should never be ashamed to own he has been in the wrong, which is but saying, in other words, that he is wiser today than he was yesterday.


I THANK YOU - Gratitude is an exquisite form of courtesy. People who enjoy the companionship of good, close friends are those who don't take daily courtesies for granted. They are quick to thank their friends for their many expressions of kindness. On the other hand, people whose circle of friends is severely constricted often do not have the attitude of gratitude.


COUNT ON ME - "A friend is one who walks in when others walk out," Loyalty is an essential ingredient for true friendship; it is the emotional glue that bonds people. Those who are rich in their relationships tend to be steady and true friends. When troubles come, a good friend is there, indicating "you can count on me."


LET ME HELP - The best of friends see a need and try to fill it. When they spot a hurt they do what they can to heal it. Without being asked, they pitch in and help.


I UNDERSTAND YOU - People become closer and enjoy each other more if they feel the other person accepts and understands them. Letting others know in so many little ways that you understand him or her is one of the most powerful tools for healing your relationship.


GO FOR IT - Some of your friends may be non conformists, have unique projects and unusual hobbies. Support them in pursuing their interests. Rather than urging your loved ones to conform, encourage their uniqueness-everyone has dreams that no one else has.


I suppose the 3 little words that you were expecting to see have to be reserved for those who are special; that is I LOVE YOU.

Thought of The Day

On A Clear Day

Three Trees

Once there were three trees on a hill in the woods. They were discussing their hopes and dreams when the first tree said, "Someday I hope to be a treasure chest. I could be filled with gold, silver and precious gems. could be decorated with intricate carving and everyone would see the beauty." Then the second tree said, "Someday I will be a mighty ship. I will take kings and queens across the waters and sail to the corners of the world. Everyone will feel safe in me because of the strength of my hull." Finally the third tree said, "I want to grow to be the tallest and straightest tree in the forest. People will see me on top of the hill and look up to my branches, and think of the heavens and God and how close to them I am reaching. I will be the greatest tree of all time and people will always remember me."

After a few years of praying that their dreams would come true, a group of woodsmen came upon the trees. When one came to the first tree he said, "This looks like a strong tree, I think I should be able to sell the wood to a carpenter" ... and he began cutting it down. The tree was happy, because he knew that the carpenter would make him into a treasure chest. At the second tree a woodsman said, "This looks like a strong tree, I should be able to sell it to the shipyard." The second tree was happy because he knew he was on his way to becoming a mighty ship. When the woodsmen came upon the third tree, the tree was frightened because he knew that if they cut him down his dreams would not come true. One of the woodsmen said, "I don't need anything special from my tree so I'll take this one", and he cut it down."

When the first tree arrived at the carpenters, he was made into a feed box for animals. He was then placed in a barn and filled with hay. This was not at all what he had prayed for. The second tree was cut and made into a small fishing boat. His dreams of being a mighty ship and carrying kings had come to an end. The third tree was cut into large pieces and left alone in the dark.

The years went by, and the trees forgot about their dreams. Then one day, a man and woman came to the barn. She gave birth and they placed the baby in the hay in the feed box that was made from the first tree. The man wished that he could have made a crib for the baby, but this manger would have to do. The tree could feel the importance of this event and knew that it had held the greatest treasure of all time.

Years later, a group of men got in the fishing boat made from the second tree. One of them was tired and went to sleep. While they were out on the water, a great storm arose and the tree didn't think it was strong enough to keep the men safe. The men woke the sleeping man, and he stood and said "Peace" and the storm stopped. At this time, the tree knew that it had carried the King of Kings in its boat.

Finally, someone came and got the third tree. It was carried through the streets as the people mocked the man who was carrying it. When they came to a stop, the man was nailed to the tree and raised in the air to die at the top of a hill. When Sunday came, the tree came to realize that it was strong enough to stand at the top of the hill and be as close to God as was possible, because God had been crucified on it.

One Reality and Hundred Dreams

One reality is people leave.
No matter how hard you try they leave. You want them to understand that sometimes you are not that strong, that bold, that courageous - still they leave . You try hard this time to save the relationship - still they leave .
You suffocate in pain - they dont come back. You scream in anguish - they dont come back. You hope they understand - they dont come back.
Memories stay with hundred dreams.

lopamudra

Thought of The Day

"There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are messengers of overwhelming grief...and unspeakable love" - Gibran

Kites in The Sky

Pic: Pratik Mallick

The Dream Spinner

City lights shine. Rain flows down the window pane. The flow traps the color of the lights. Yellow. Red. Green. Occasionally, a thunder lights up the sky and an abode of dreams. Blue.

A dream-spinner looks outside, through the haziness. Haziness in the eyes and the window pane. Blurred visions rise and fall, like the lights on the window pane. Shadows come and go like the lightning above. The thunder shakes the roots. Its dark inside, but the city lights, play in the dark walls like a kaleidoscope of many colorful dreams. The dream-spinner tries to spin many a dream with the colors. But the colors play on their own.

Dreams. Red. Yellow. Green. Blue. Sometimes grey. But always colorful.

Only reality is black and white.

lopamudra

Thought of The Day

I spend
a lot of time with myself
trying to be my friend,
sometimes listening to my apologies
often to my excuses,
occasionally to my good sense.
I know me well, but
- now and then -
find me an interesting stranger!

~anonymous

BBC Documentary

Thought of The Day

Thought of The Day

Click Here for Poems Comments

Speech from the film Secondhand Lions

How To Take Insult

From: TheDailyEnlightenment.com Weekly 21/04/05:

On one occasion, the Buddha was invited by the Brahmin Bharadvaja for alms to his house. As invited, the Buddha visited the house of the Brahmin. Instead of entertaining Him, the Brahmin poured forth a torrent of abuse with the filthiest of words. The Buddha politely inquired:

"Do visitors come to your house, good Brahmin?"
"Yes," he replied.
"What do yu do when they come?"
"Oh, we prepare a sumptuous feast."
"What do you if they refuse to receive the meal?"
"Why, we gladly partake of them ourselves."
"Well, good Brahmin, you have invited me for alms and entertained me with abuse which I decline to accept. So now it belongs to you."

From the Akkosa Sutta

The Buddha did not retaliate but politely gave back what the Brahmin had given Him. Retaliate not, the Buddha advised. "Hatred does not cease through hatred but through love alone they cease."

A Tale

One day Buddha and his disciple was meditating in a quiet garden when one of his disciples, deep in a meditative state, began to levitate. Feeling his body lifting itself up from the ground, he became very excited, and very PROUD of his accomplishments. He stirred himself from his meditation and felt himself back on the ground. He stood up and walked over to Buddha,
"I have mastered levitation," the disciple announced.
"Thats nice," Buddha responded, "but don't let it distract you from your meditaion."

Moral: WE SHOULD NOT LOSE SIGHT OF OUR REAL GOALS.

To An Early Violet

What though thy bed be frozen earth,
Thy cloak the chilling blast;
What though no mate to clear thy path,
Thy sky with gloom o'ercast --
What though of love itself doth fail,
Thy fragrance strewed in vain;
What though if bad o'er good prevail,
And vice o'er virtue reign --
Change not thy nature, gentle bloom,
Thou violet, sweet and pure,
But ever pour thy sweet perfume
Unasked, unstinted, sure !

- Swami Vivekananda

Quote

“Clouds come floating into my life,

no longer to carry rain or usher storm,

but to add color to my sunset sky.”

-. R.N.Thakur

Chronicles of Narnia

Debt

One midnight, deep in starlight still,
I dreamed that I received this bill:
“( . . . . . . . in account with Life):

Five thousand breathless dawns all new;
Five thousand flowers fresh in dew;
Five thousand sunsets wrapped in gold;
One million snow-flakes served ice-cold;
Five quiet friends; one baby’s love;
One white-mad sea with clouds above;
One hundred music-haunted dreams
Of moon-drenched roads and hurrying streams;
Of prophesying winds, and trees;
Of silent stars and browsing bees;
One still night in a fragrant wood;
One heart that loved and understood.”
I wondered when I waked at day,
How- how in God’s name- I could pay!

~ Cortland Sayres

The Brick

Thought of The Day

Between the hater and the hated, it is always the hater who get hurt more.

So, forgiveness is not liberating the other from you, but liberating yourself from the other. Forgiveness is giving up your right to hurt the other for hurting you.

Simply put, forgivness just means "I value my peace more than anything that has happened to me in my life."

Thought of The Day

Sooner or later, you start taking yourself
seriously. You know when you need a break.
You know when you need a rest. You know what
to get worked up about and what to get rid of.
And you know when it's time to take care of
yourself, for yourself. To do something that
makes you stronger, faster, more complete.
Because you know it's never too late to have a life.
And never too late to change one.

~NIKE Advertisement

Friendship and Love

Friendship: the state of being attached to another by affection or esteem; a favored companion.

Love : strong affection another; affection based on admiration, benevolence or common interests; warm attachment, enthusiasm or devotion, and unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another .

Can love survive without friendship? Can friendship live without love? Both are a part of the same coin. Relationships, specially the ones between lovers/spouses die not because of death of love but because of disappearance of friendship. When affection vaporizes, the heart is but an organ. And organs do not have the capacity to feel anything, leave aside the warmth of love.

Of course the love for your friend will be quite different from the love for your lover, but its all a matter of degrees. Perhaps here in the second case, comes the element of physical attraction to begin with but in the end just this factor alone cannot make love survive. Our everyday existence is overflowing with instances of this. Man is a feeling animal. He is a spiritual being. He thrives on emotional attachment. That’s why two machines cant stay forever together. They detach.

Before being a lover, be a friend. Before being a spouse be a friend. Before falling in love, rise in friendship. Love might make the world go around; but Friendship will make love come full circle as if each moment with him/her is like the first “hello”!

lopamudra

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Life has just three rules:- Paradox, humour, and Change.

Paradox...
Life is a mystery. Don't waste time trying to figure it out.

Humor...
Keep a sense of humour, especially about yourself. It is a strength beyond all measure.

Change....
Know that nothing stays the same.

~Movie-Peaceful Warrior