Another Dharma Filled Weekend in Delhi

Yet another exciting weekend of the Dharma in Delhi…
On Friday evening The Khyentse Foundation and Siddhartha’s Intent India hosted a panel on “What the Panditas and Yogis brought to Tibet” with some well known scholars who were on their way to Khyentse Norbu’s practice center, the Deer Park Institute, in Himachal Pradesh for a conference on “Translating the Words of the Buddha.” The purpose of the conference is to map out the future of dharma translations for generations to come.
On Saturday the Foundation for Universal Responsibility of His Holiness the Dalai Lama hosted teachings given by Venerable Ogyen Trinley Dorge, His Holiness the 17th Karmapa. Thanks to my dear friend Sonam (Secretary to HHK) I was able to meet him privately before the afternoon teachings began and receive his blessings in his room at the India Habitat Center. My favorite part of the teaching was when HHK said, “Buddha is a possibility not a person.”
What follows are my notes from Friday evening’s event and Saturday’s teaching. I’m not a great note taker and the following is most certainly lacking…Still, better than nothing I only have notes from the morning portion of the teaching with HHK since the afternoon was mostly the Medicine Buddha initiation. For more background reading we were provided Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s commentary from FPMT.
Steven Goodman, CIIS
Tibet’s knowledge of the scholastic and yogic traditions from India
Intellectual transformation and spiritual transformation
Yoga is the elimination of mental movements (Patanjali, citta vritti nirodha)
Tibetan translations of yoga – linking back to natural and relaxed state
Union of empty open state and compassionate state
Linking of skillful means and compassion
Kosambi sutta – relationship between pandit and yogi
Rationalist and mystical (Anuradha and Musila)
Perhaps those 2 trends the theoretical and intellectual rigor of Indian traditions preceded
What is the relationship between the pandit and yogin?
Dharma has two aspects (texts and spiritual transformation)
What is the relationship between intellectual acumen and spiritual transformation?
Don’t get hung up on the person who delivers but the dharma
Don’t get hung up on the word but the spirit
Rely on wisdom awareness
Makes our quandary more vexatious
What material is deemed worthy of studying
In time these traditions enshrined in projects of translation
The relationship between pandit style and yogi style-→ enduring legacy of Nalanda greatly influenced India and Tibet
Shantideva and Naropa are amazing examples of the Mahapandit
Transformation of these traditions to questioning “is being a pandit enough?”
Yogins of Naropa pandit style
Rely on a true teacher
Padmasambhava says, “May I come to be inspired by a mind no longer filled…”
John Dunne, Emory University
Transmission of Nalanda tradition of Buddhist Philosophy from India to Tibet
Several streams of thought
Under which each moment passes
Table of elements of mind and body
5 aggregates
Nagarjuna, pillars of Nalanda system
True nature is no nature at all, interdependence
Nirvana is not escape but transformation
No difference between samsara and nirvana
Emptiness is abandonment of all views
Jake Dalton, UC Berkeley
Yogic Traditions in Dunhuang
Discussion of manuscripts found in China and what they say about India
NW China influence of Tantra
Wide range of ritual technologies
Pan Indian response to changes in society
Rapid social change and religious response
Lost history of Indian yogic ritual
Locally produced ritual mandalas
Personal sadhana texts
DNA of early Tantric Buddhism that later shaped the canonical tradition
Gene Smith, Tibetan Buddhist Resource Center
Tibetan Travelers to India and Indian travelers to Tibet
This transfer happened very often…How Tibetans saw India and Indians saw Tibet
Many voyages of Tibetans to India but less and less because sickness prevailed
Many Indian pandits to Tibet
John Dunne on mindfulness – Smriti (sati in pali) is used multiple ways, Smriti is a technical term…that moment of consciousness has stability
Cultivate mental stability…awareness
Saturday, March 14th – Teachings with HHK
Mind training, no need to get too philosophical
How to develop tranquility of mind in an easy and practical way
When Buddha began teachings the path of awakening he did so in Sarnath and the first teachings were about the facts of life…4 noble truths based on the reality of interdependence
Nothing has a result without a cause, interdependent arising and resulted
Suffering does not occur because of an independent cause
We must focus on the cause of experiences instead of the symptoms
The karmic cause of suffering
Karma is what is embedded
We must pacify our minds
We need to experience the truth of the cessation of suffering
Experience of well being is maintained
The cessation of suffering is not a safe landing but complete freedom from the root cause of suffering
Karma and habitual mental afflictions
You cannot borrow an enlightened mind, inherent nature of all beings
In all situations the role of the mind is significant
Must cultivate the stability of mind
Eight Verses for Mind Training by Geshe Langri Tangpa (1054-1123)
Composed by the Buddhist Master Langri Tangpa (1054-1123), Eight Verses for Training the Mind is a highly-revered text from the Mahayana Lojong (mind training) tradition. These instructions offer essential practices for cultivating the awakening mind of compassion, wisdom, and love. This eight-verse lojong enshrines the very heart of Dharma, revealing the true essence of the Mahayana path to liberation.
As we practice these lojong teachings in daily life, we train the mind to embrace reality in a completely wholesome, wise, and compassionate way. These excellent practices help us purify our negativity and awaken the heart by giving us a way to transform adversity and hardship into a direct opportunity for spiritual growth. In this way, rather than perceiving difficult people or adverse circumstances in our lives as an obstacle, tragedy, or punishment, we now meet these experiences with deep compassion, wisdom, and skill, using them as the actual path to enlightenment.
By way of these treasured practices we eliminate our competitive, selfish, and reactive nature, as well as our false and exaggerated concepts of self (also called self-grasping and self-cherishing). It is important to understand that the greed, jealousy, anger, pride, selfishness, and attachment, which cause us so much suffering, are actually misperceptions of reality, not inherent conditions of our mind. Therefore, these precious lojong practices can purify our misperceptions and delusions completely, revealing the natural radiance, clarity, wisdom, and compassion of our true nature.

With the heartfelt desire and determination to attain enlightenment 
For the welfare of all living beings, who are more precious than a 
Wish-fulfilling jewel for accomplishing the supreme goal, 
May I always cherish them and hold them dear.
Verse I – Cherishing and caring for others is the source of all happiness. Cherishing ourselves over others is the source of all suffering and negative conditions in this world. Therefore, our determination to attain enlightenment should always be motivated by our heartfelt desire to serve the welfare of all living beings. The attainment of enlightenment is the supreme goal. Our enlightenment comes from the cultivation of bodhichitta (the awakening mind of love, compassion, and wisdom). Bodhichitta arises from our deepest compassion. To develop this compassion and reach the supreme goal, we need others. In this way, all living beings are the principle source for our spiritual development and for accomplishing the supreme goal of enlightenment. In addition, at some time each of us has been, and will be, a source of great kindness and benefit for one another. The immense kindness of all living beings is integral to our own human existence. Considering this, we can understand how living beings are even more precious than a wish-fulfilling jewel and that we should always cherish them and hold them dear.

Whenever I am with others 
May I think of myself as the lowest of all 
And from the very depths of my heart 
May I respectfully hold others as supreme.
Verse 2 – This verse calls us to train the mind in proper humility, eliminating our habitual arrogance and pride by ‘thinking of ourselves as the lowest of all.’ This is certainly not suggesting we belittle ourselves; we should have self-esteem and self-confidence. Rather, a practice is being offered for taming our exaggerated sense of self-importance and for cultivating true humility and respect for others. The afflictions of arrogance, superiority, pride, and competitiveness create disharmony among people and prevent us from learning and evolving. Therefore, by respectfully holding others as supreme, we become more humble, gentle, and open. This naturally brings harmony and compassion into our relationships and helps us to achieve great qualities, virtues, and spiritual realizations.

In all actions, may I closely examine my state of mind, 
And the moment a disturbing emotion or negative attitude arises, 
Since this may cause harm to myself and others, 
May I firmly face and avert it.
Verse 3 – This verse calls for the sincere practice of mindfulness, closely examining our state of mind throughout all our actions. Through this practice of mindfulness, the teachings encourage us to firmly face and avert any disturbing emotions or negative attitudes the very moment they arise. The reason for this is that our delusions, disturbing emotions, and negative attitudes can provoke us to think, speak, or act in nonvirtuous ways which may cause harm to ourselves and others. This behavior brings karmic consequences and perpetuates our delusion and suffering. Therefore, throughout the day, while working, driving, walking, studying, talking with others, and so forth, we should closely examine our state of mind and heart. By training our mind in this skillful way, we will be able to firmly face and avert disturbing emotions and negative attitudes as they arise and before they develop any further momentum or power.

Whenever I meet people of unpleasant character 
Or those overwhelmed by negativity, pain or suffering, 
May I cherish and care for them as if I had found 
A rare and precious treasure difficult to find.
Verse 4 – When we encounter unpleasant people, or those overwhelmed by negativity, pain, or suffering, we often prefer to ignore or avoid them rather than cherish and care for them. We may consider ourselves to be more important or more evolved than such beings, and we usually turn from them, as we do not want to be bothered, hurt, or contaminated by their condition. This verse suggests reversing our usual self-cherishing attitude by learning to cherish and care for such people, being joyful and grateful as if we had found a rare and precious treasure. To overcome the delusion and egoism of our self-cherishing, we view this encounter as an opportunity to serve and bring happiness to others, rather than a nuisance to be avoided. In this way, our self-cherishing mind diminishes and our compassion deepens so as to embrace all living beings without exception.

Whenever others, because of their jealousy, treat me badly
With abuse, insult, slander, or in other unjust ways, 
May I accept this defeat myself 
And offer the victory to others.
Verse 5 – Learning to accept loss and defeat for ourselves and offering gain and victory to others is the very foundation of the bodhisattva practice. Although it may appear, at the worldly level, that we suffer loss by way of this practice, ultimately the practitioner receives the greatest benefits of spiritual wealth and virtue. In learning to accept harsh or unjust treatment, we should not allow ourselves to react with anger, behave in the same nonvirtuous ways in return, or to abandon others because of their actions toward us. This is the essence of accepting defeat and offering the victory, and the accomplishment of supreme patience and kindness. By accepting defeat and offering the victory to others, with the pure motivation of heartfelt compassion, we destroy the ignorance of our self-cherishing at its very roots.

When someone whom I have benefited
Or in whom I have placed great trust and hope, 
Harms me or treats me in hurtful ways without reason, 
May I see that person as my precious teacher.
Verse 6 – When we are kind to people, helping them, giving them our trust and hope, we naturally expect to be treated kindly in return. When people repay our kindness and trust by harming us or treating us in hurtful ways, we often react with anger, hurt, or disappointment. After such an experience, we may find it difficult to give them our love and respect. This type of ordinary love is conditional and impure. As practitioners, we want to embrace a situation such as this with skillful wisdom, compassion, and unconditional love. Therefore, it is essential that we have a way to transform these difficult experiences into the actual path to enlightenment. To accomplish this, we learn to see a person who harms us or treats us in hurtful ways, as our precious teacher. This person becomes our precious teacher because of the priceless dharma lessons we receive. Through their kindness, we also receive the ripening and purification of our own negative karma, which is the inevitable result of our having done a similar thing to someone in the past. In this way, we can see how even our worst enemies can be our greatest benefactors and precious teachers.

In brief, may I offer both directly and indirectly all help, 
Happiness and benefit to all beings, my mothers,
And may I secretly take upon myself
All of their harmful actions, pain and suffering.
Verse 7 – This verse refers to the essence of Tong-len practice (Giving and Taking). We are to offer, directly and indirectly, our help, happiness, benefit, skills, and resources in loving service to all beings who certainly, at some time in the past, have been our own mothers. In Tong-Ien practice, with strong compassion, we visualize taking on the obstacles, problems, illnesses, and suffering of others. We then visualize giving them all of our happiness, comfort, love, virtue, prosperity, and great insights. In this verse the word ’secretly’ suggests this particular practice of compassion may not be suitable or may be too difficult for beginning practitioners. It also means that this practice should be done discreetly, and not openly displayed or spoken about so as to gain praise or recognition.


May I keep all of these practices undefiled by stains of the eight worldly
Cconcerns (gain/loss, pleasure/pain, praise/blame, fame/dishonor),
And by recognizing the emptiness and illusory nature of all existing things,
May I be liberated from the bondage of attachment and mistaken views of reality.
Verse 8 – It is essential that our spiritual practice not be defiled or stained by the eight worldly concerns. For example, engaging in these practices hoping to be recognized or praised as an excellent dharma practitioner is not the right motivation. Nor should we practice with expectations of gaining something special or pleasurable for ourselves. Our motivation for practice must not become polluted or obscured by worldly concerns and attachment. The right motivation is to act exclusively and compassionately for the benefit of other beings. Our mind training practice must also be unified with our direct perception of ultimate truth—emptiness. As we gain realization of ultimate truth, we understand the empty, illusory, and impermanent nature of all existing things. With this realization, grasping or clinging to external appearances, or being deceived by them, diminishes, and we gain liberation from the bondage of attachment and mistaken views of reality.
Mind Training in awakening/bodhichitta
Training the mind through applications of 7 points of instructions or cultivating practice of equality and exchanging of oneself and others
Attitude of self cherishing is VERY inhibiting, limiting
Cherishing others from the heart creates openness and possibility of vision
The discerning ability of the mind
Not just in the realm of mind
Self cherishing is the end result there is no good for oneself or others
Need for world peace, good and reliable environment
Clear this is the story of result of fanatical self cherishing
Addiction to self cherishing
When there is no clarity to what one is pursuing one is not anchored in discernment and reality
Sense of what is vitally important in our life
When you make others valuable it is in your own interest, appreciating the worthiness
Grounded in humility
Humility should not be misunderstood or discouraged
There should always be time to train the mind
Emptiness is opportunity and possibility and so is compassion
Faced with consequences of development and tremendous environmental side effects

A Very Different Return to Rishikesh…

Exactly one year ago I made my first trip to Rishikesh. This weekend I returned for my fifth visit but instead of my usual itinerary I had a very different Rishikesh experience at the famous Ananda Spa. Friends had urged me to visit Ananda while I’m holding a residential permit in India and can qualify for the Spa’s special residential rates.

While I’m slightly ashamed of myself for splurging on a weekend and not practicing mindful consumption Ananda itself is beautiful and I had a much needed rejuvenating weekend.

The highlight of my brief stay at Ananda was undoubtedly the time I spent talking with one of Swami Parthasarathy’s senior students. At Ananda a Vedanta class is held twice daily. I had low expectations for the class but was pleasantly surprised and was able to engage in some of the most mind blowing discussions I’ve had since my dear mentor, Ramuji passed away in June of 2007.

Three years ago my uncle gave me a copy of Swami Parthasarathy’s “Vedanta Treatise.” It’s funny how things come full circle. I wasn’t quite ready for the book back then but now I’m ripe and can’t wait to closely read it. What follows are some of my notes from my discussions with Swamiji’s disciple, Ronan (he’s Irish-Australian and been living in India for close to 8 years.)

“As you think so you become.”

Misunderstandings mimic knowledge

Subject vs. object

We are awareness…

Have possessions but don’t be possessive

Indiscriminate thoughts, different reactions to the same stimuli

False value

Appetite in order to be here

Intellect can re-educate the mind

INTELLECTUAL CONVICTION

Inspiration has a short term value

Subject vs. Object
You vs. World
Inner personality vs. Circumstance

Focus on your experience
Free will
Thoughts my mind produces

You can only strengthen intellectual conviction by asking questions

Refinement of articulation

Subtle intellect

Milton poem…

By definition an introvert is not dependent on contact but an extrovert is

In Vedanta God is consciousness

You cannot use two unknowns

Moksha is liberation from identification of limited equipment (physical, emotional etc.)

Turiya – pure consciousness

In Samsara the subject and object are conjoined

We have some degree of free will in the waking state which is why it seems more real to us

Krishna and Gopis story (you are where your thoughts are)

Unconscious = deep sleep
Subconscious = dream
Conscious = waking

In deep sleep the “I” is unmanifest

Turiya, bliss

Rid the ego that is producing desires for the waking world

Be in the world but not of it

I need to read: Bertrand Russell, (Unpopular essays, conquest of happiness, marriage and morals), Francis Bacon,. Nietzsche, Aristotle, Socrates, J. Krishnamurti, Plato, Thomas More, John Stuart Mill, Marx and Engels, Thomas

His Holiness The Dalai Lama and Delhi Day of Mindfulness :)

Yet another exciting Saturday in Delhi. I love living here so much. Most days I have to pinch myself just to make sure I’m not dreaming. It is going to be so hard for me to leave! This morning I heard His Holiness the Dalai Lama speak for the second time but this was the first time I heard him speak in English. His Holiness gave the keynote address at the Global Congress on World Religions After September 11th at Jamia Millia Islamia University in Delhi. After he spoke Rajiv Mehotra chaired an interactive session with His Holiness where he only answered 3 questions and mine was one of them!

Religions can be a force for good when they work with each other. His Holiness spoke about how he is just a simple human being, a simple monk and we are all the same in that we desire happiness and want to overcome suffering. We all come from a mother who has immense affection for her child and this affection has planted a seed of affection in ourselves. In our blood an appreciation of affection is there. He also said that those of us that have loving, affectionate mothers are usually inclined towards greater happiness–maybe this is why I’m usually just so very happy!   He stressed the importance of compassion and caring as the foundation for a happy life. Destructive emotions hurt our health and it is essential that we promote human values and the message of love and compassion. The more interaction we have between faiths the more harmony we can have and it is our global responsibility to promote religious harmony. He did stress that spiritual and political institutions should remain separate which is interesting given the fact that he is both a spiritual and political leader. 

I asked His Holiness to speak about Education and Ethics and for some practical guidance as a school teacher that believes in the importance of promoting harmony and awareness among her students. He told me that education is to teach reality. I interpreted that to mean not only is it was important to teach my students that everything is related and interconnected but to also make sure they had discernment. He spoke at great length about teaching warm heartedness but a teacher MUST model warm heartedness and that is how it is taught to her students. This warm heartedness would promote a sense of responsibility among students and is an important element of what he calls secular, moral ethics. Anger and hatred eat away at our immune system but compassion strengthens our immune system.  

Aside from my question he answered a question about the Tibet situation. Aside from stressing nonviolence he talked about how President Hu Jin Tao is promoting harmony but harmony depends on trust. But in a nation with censorship there is no trust so how can you have harmony? 

He also joked around about the Guru Chela relationship between Tibet and India. His Holiness has such a special presence and when he answered my question I was just a few feet from him and I could feel compassion radiating from him and my eyes welled up in tears.  It was such an inspirational morning. 

Not only did I hear His Holiness speak but I also ran into so many wonderful familiar faces and friends I had not seen since a conference I went to last March in West Bengal at Shantiniketan in honor of my mentor, Ramuji. 

After hearing His Holiness speak I went to a beautiful space in Tilak Marg for our monthly Delhi Day of Mindfulness led by Dharmacharya Shantum Seth. We engaged in our usual sitting and walking meditation practice and gathered as an all Delhi Sangha. I feel so blessed to have found my guru, Thich Nhat Hanh. I love Thay so much! As a special treat we had Indian Buddhists from Nagpur speak with us. Our guests actually took refuge in the Three Jewels and were given diksha into the Buddha Dharma by Ambedkar himself on October 14, 1956. A Theravandan Monk, Vimla Kirti Ji, one of the Buddhist leaders in Nagpur spoke about how 85% of Indian Buddhists live in Maharashtra. His Sangha brother, Mr. Patil, also from Nagpur spoke about how the Buddha Dharma has transformed the lives of so many Dalits.

The more I delve into the dharma and think seriously about social change it becomes clear to me that the only way we can transform society is by first transforming ourselves.

Buddhism Without Beliefs – Stephen Batchelor

“The way of the Buddha is to know yourself; To know yourself is to forget yourself; To forget yourself is to be awakened by all things.” –Dogen, Genjo Koan

Hey Dharma Friends!

In the spirit of passing along whatever I find good I wanted to let you know about Stephen Batchelor’s “Buddhism Without Beliefs.” The day after I returned from blissful travels in Bodh Gaya a dear Sangha friend lent me this book and urged me to read it. It’s a quick (I “luckily” got sick and was forced to stay in last night and this morning and made my way through it) but worthwhile read and I’ve pasted some of my favorite excerpts below for all of you. I especially like his discussion of agnosticism as it relates to Buddhism and it reminded me a bit of Sharon Salzburg’s talk last March on “Faith” at the IIC.  The book is divided into three parts: “Ground,” “Path,” and “Fruition” and it consists of concise chapters on topics such as “Integrity,” “Becoming,” and “Culture.” I found the book to be extremely relevant for Westerners that have issues with karma theory and reincarnation and felt a lot of Thay’s philosophy in the book

Enjoy!

Meena

Excerpts from Stephen Batchelor’s “Buddhism without Beliefs”

“An unawakened existence, in which we drift unaware on a surge of habitual impulses, is both ignoble and undignified. Instead of a natural and noncoercive authority, we impose our will on others either through manipulation and intimidation or by appealing to the opinions of those more powerful than ourselves. Authority becomes a question of force rather than of integrity.” (p. 6)

“While Buddhism suggests another belief system, “dharma practice” suggests a course of action. The four ennobling truths are not propositions to believe; they are challenges to act.” (p. 7)

“Just as a garden needs to be protected, tended, and cared for, so do ethical integrity, focused awareness, and understanding. No matter how deep our insight into the empty and contingent nature of things, that alone will do little to cultivate these qualities. Each of these areas in life becomes a challenge, an injunction to act. There is no room for complacency, for they all bear a tag that declares: “Cultivate Me.” (p. 11)

“The actions that accompany the four truths describe the trajectory of dharma practice: understanding anguish leads to letting go of craving, which leads to cultivating the path. These are not four separate activities but four phases within the process of awakening itself. Understanding matures into letting go; letting go culminates in realization; realization impels cultivation.” (p. 11)

“The challenge now is to imagine and create a culture of awakening that both supports individual dharma practice and addresses the dilemmas of an agnostic and pluralistic world.” (p. 20)

“It might be that all I can trust in the end is my integrity to keep asking such questions as: Since death alone is certain and the time of death uncertain, what should I do? And then to act on them. (p. 31)

“Where does this leave us? It may seem that there are two options: either to believe in rebirth or not. But there is a third alternative: to acknowledge, in all honesty, I do not know. We neither have to adopt the literal visions of rebirth presented by religious tradition nor fall into the extreme of regarding death as annihilation. Regardless of what we believe, our actions will reverberate beyond our deaths. Irrespective of our personal survival, the legacy of our thoughts, words, and deeds will continue through the impressions we leave behind in the lives of those we have influenced or touched in any way. Dharma practice requires the courage to confront what it means to be human. All the pictures we entertain of heaven and hell or cycles of rebirth serve to replace the unknown with an image of what is already known. To cling to the idea of rebirth can deaden questioning. Failure to summon forth the courage to risk nondogmatic and nonevasive stance on such crucial existential matters can also blur our ethical vision. If our actions in the world are to stem from an encounter with what is central in life, they must be unclouded by either dogma or prevarication. Agnosticism is no excuse for indecision. If anything, it is a catalyst for action; for in shifting concern away from a future life and back to the present, it demands an ethics of empathy rather than a metaphysics of fear and hope.” (p. 38)

“Self-confidence is not a form of arrogance. It is trust in our capacity to awaken. It is both the courage to face whatever life throws at us without losing equanimity, and the humility to treat every situation we encounter as one from which we can learn.” (p. 44)

“Ethical integrity requires both the intelligence to understand the present situation as the fruition of former choices, and the courage to engage with it as the arena for the creation of what is to come. It empowers us to embrace the ambiguity of a present that is simultaneously tied to an irrevocable past and free for an undetermined future.” (p. 47)

“We are participatory beings who inhabit a participatory reality, seeking relationships that enhance our sense of what it means to be alive. In terms of dharma practice, a true friend is more than just someone with whom we share common values and who accepts us for what we are. Such a friend is someone with whom we share common values and who accepts us for what we are. Such a friend is someone whom we can trust to refine our understanding of what it means to live, who can guide us when we’re lost and help us find the way along a path, who can assuage our anguish through the reassurance of his or her presence.” (p. 50)

“…the aim is to bring fresh awareness into everything we do. Whether walking or standing still, sitting or lying down…awareness is a process of deepening self-acceptance…whatever it observes it embraces. There is nothing unworthy of acceptance.” (p. 59)

“A world of contingency and change can offer only simulacra of perfection. When driven by craving, I am convinced that if only I were to achieve this goal, all would be well. While creating the illusion of a purposeful life, craving is really the loss of direction. It is a process of compulsive becoming. It spins me around in circles, covering the same ground again and again. Each time I think I have found a situation that solves all my problems, it suddenly turns out to be a reconfiguration of the very situation I thought I was escaping from. My sense of having a new lease on life turns out to be merely a repetition of the past. I realize I am running on the spot, frantically going nowhere.” (p. 74)

“And we too are impressions left by something that used to be here. We have been created, molded, formed by a bewildering matrix of contingencies that have preceded us. From the patterning of the DNA derived from our parents to the firing of the hundred billion neurons in our brains to the cultural and historical conditioning of the twentieth century to the education and upbringing given us to all the experiences we have ever had an choices we have ever made: these have conspired to configure the unique trajectory that culminates in this present moment. What is here now is the unrepeatable impression left by all of this, which we call “me.” Yet so vivid and startling is this image that we confuse what is a mere impression for something that exists independently of what formed it. So what are we but the story we keep repeating, editing, censoring, and embellishment in our heads? The self is not like the hero of a B-movie, who remains unaffected by the storms of passion and intrigue that swirl around him from the opening credits to the end. The self is more akin to the complex and ambiguous characters who emerge, develop, and suffer across the pages of a novel. There is nothing thinglike about me at all. I am more like an unfolding narrative. As we become aware of all this, we can begin to assume greater responsibility for the course of our lives. Instead of clinging to habitual behavior and routines as a means to secure this sense of self, we realize the freedom to create who we are. Instead of being bewitched by impressions, we start to create them. Instead of taking ourselves so seriously, we discover the playful irony of a story that has never been told quite in this way before.” (p. 82-83)

“Compassion is the very heart and soul of awakening. While meditation and reflection can make us more receptive to it, it cannot be contrived or manufactures. When it erupts within us, it feels as though we have stumbled across it by chance. And it can vanish just as suddenly as it appeared. It is glimpsed in those moments when the barrier of self is lifted and individual existence is surrendered to the wellbeing of existence as a whole. It becomes abundantly clear that we cannot attain awakening for ourselves: we can only participate in the awakening of life.” (p. 90)

 “The freedom of awakening is grounded in the cessation of craving. Such freedom is possible because the changing, contingent, ambiguous, and creative character of reality is by its very nature free.” (p. 94)

“The human world is like a vast musical instrument on which we simultaneously play our part while listening to the compositions of others. The creation of ourself in the image of awakening is not a subjective but an intersubjective process. We cannot choose whether to engage with the world, only how to. Our life is a story being continuously related to others through every detail of our being: facial expressions, body language, clothes, inflections of speech—whether we like it or not.” (p. 106)

“An agnostic Buddhist vision of a culture of awakening will inevitably challenge many of the time-honored roles of religious Buddhism…it will emphasize the freedom and responsibility to create a more awakened and compassionate society on this earth. Instead of authoritarian, monolithic institutions, it could imagine a decentralized tapestry of small-scale, autonomous communities of awakening. Instead of a mystical religious movement ruled by autocratic leaders, it would forsee a deep agnostic, secular culture founded on friendships and governed by collaboration.” (p. 114-115)

Osho Commune: Just Too Weird (Even For Me)

Have you ever found yourself in a place so bizarre and ridiculous that all you can do is laugh to yourself and think “Where the f**k am I? Is this place for real?!?!?!?” ? Well, this is precisely what happened to me during my stay at the Osho Commune in Pune. Unfortunately, photography was not allowed so I don’t have any photos to document just how strange the entire place is. Sometimes my curiosity lands me in the most absurd places and there is absolutely no embellishment in what follows…

I really dig a lot of what Osho has written (though Osho never really “wrote” anything and the 600 + books to his name are really just transcriptions of discourses he gave) and thought that while I’m living in India it would be interesting to visit the commune and a good opportunity to practice “openness” and “non-attachment to view.” I really didn’t think much about what to expect when I decided to visit Osho Land but within seconds of my arrival when I was greeted by a man that looked like an Indian version of Kenny G I realized I was in for quite an interesting experience. I’m pretty open minded, have done enough weird shit in my life so I figured I’d just roll with the whole “Osho experience” and make the most of my time there. Though I did bypass having a past life regression and opted for an extra plate of organic broccoli instead and I also managed to escape the commune to check out the Iyengar Yoga Studio in Pune which was really, really cool.

The Osho Commune is a cross between a space station and a Zen paradise and is really nothing more than a bizarre, new age spa where wealthy people go to have an “experience” (myself included).  When I arrived I found out that the Commune is also called the “Osho International Meditation Resort” and upon discovering this I seriously thought I’d ditch the whole idea of staying at the “Resort.” I felt ashamed of myself for wasting money in such a ridiculous manner because I am really trying to live more simply but I was already there and just so tired and at the very least figured it would make for a good story.

No matter how hard I tried it was impossible for me to take anything that went on there seriously. In fact, my stomach is sore from laughing so much at the ridiculousness of it all and I was actually reprimanded and almost kicked out of a few “meditation sessions” for laughing too much. But it was just so totally insane I couldn’t help laughing! In order to get rid of our deep conditioning we were asked to speak in “gibberish” for an hour, act like animals (I had to bark like a dog and act like a cat) and my personal favorite—”connecting with our inner child” where we had to crawl around, scream, cry and act like babies/infants while screaming “mommy!” How could I not laugh hysterically? Ouch, my stomach is still hurting from laughing so much! On the third day I had to call my big brother and my friend Gina in the States to share how it was this insane new age spiritual supermarket!

Upon my arrival I had to take an AIDS test (some of you know about Osho’s liberal views on sex) and after a lengthy registration process I was escorted by this Ewok looking man to get my “robe.” In order to participate in any of the activities you have to wear a maroon robe (don’t ask but the maroon color has to do with energetics or something). A middle aged Indian man who insisted on calling me “baby girl” picked out my “robe” which was really just a tight fitting, scandalous, backless maroon dress. I figured I’d never do anything like this again so I put on the “robe” but also managed to snag a maroon shawl too. Staying at the Osho Commune isn’t cheap but there are tennis courts (they call it zenis), a pool, a sauna and access to all of the “meditation sessions.” The food is pretty affordable and excellent but there is no money at the commune and you have to buy everything using “Osho Vouchers.” When I was there I really felt like I was caught in an episode of the twilight zone and I had to wonder if anyone else there took it seriously! I could literally hear Osho laughing at what his devotees had made of this place because in so many ways it goes against a lot of what he stood for.

Every evening the entire compound shuts down for the “Evening Meditation” in the Osho Auditorium which is futuristic looking structure with a large marble hall inside. You have to wear a white “robe” for the evening meditation (again it has to do with energetics). As you enter live music is playing which is a cross between John Tesh and Yanni and you are expected to just totally let go and dance. There were probably more than 500 people in the hall dancing like crazy and I figured I’d just have fun with it and try and get in a good workout too so I just did the little capoeira I know and jumped up and down like a maniac. After dancing for some time all of a sudden the music stops and we had to throw our hands up in the air, jump and scream “OSHO!” Everyone got so into it and it totally weirded me out. After dancing and screaming “OSHO!” we then watched a discourse Osho had given on Zen and I actually really enjoyed this. Even though the entire commune is completely strange I still think a lot of what Osho has written is right on. But after the discourse you have to start screaming like crazy. It was like nothing I had ever experienced before. On my right a man with a heavy South Indian accent was screaming in Telegu and to my left a middle-aged Californian woman screamed demonically “Mother F****r!” I just sat there in the middle laughing hysterically at how bizarre it all was. Then after the screaming we have to stop suddenly, maintain silence and lie down in savasana. After savasana the “Evening Meditation” is over and we leave. As I was leaving all these people were saying how great the meditation was and I just thought to myself, “When the hell did we meditate? I thought we just danced like fools and screamed like idiots with a pretty cool Osho talk sandwiched in between.”

So, I’m all for being friendly and hugging people I know but getting down with strangers is just not my thing. My second day I was quietly reading “Old Path, White Clouds” while sipping chai at the “Zorba the Buddha” Café not to far from the “Osho Plaza” and “Buddha Grove” and all of a sudden Daddy Yankee starts blasting and this incredibly beautiful but of course bizarre Brazilian man just picks me up and grabs me (apparently he was excited because he thought I was Puerto Rican—I haven’t been mistaken for being Puerto Rican since I was living in NYC 5 years ago!) and at that moment I decided that I had had enough. After two days I’d had my fill of amusing stories from sketchy encounters with strange men and I made a sign that said “practicing silence” pinned it to my “robe,” wrapped myself in my maroon shawl and boycotted all activities except for the sitting silent meditation which was held three times a day at hour long intervals in a really nice marble meditation hall with of course a large Osho statue erected in it (but right before you enter the hall there is a dentist chair—I never really got why that was there). I really enjoyed these sitting sessions because I rarely get a chance to sit like this and focus on my breathe, posture and awareness. (There was also an “Osho Vipassana Sitting” but it was pretty different from Goenka-ji and we weren’t even told to scan.) Aside from these silent sitting sessions, which were held in the morning, early afternoon and late afternoon I just read, swam and relaxed. But in order to swim in the pool or use the sauna you have to wear a maroon “Osho” bathing suit which was of course scandalous and the type of thing I would only bust out in Brazil but I figured “When in Rome…” There was this crazy Scandinavian woman that monopolized the sauna and every 15 minutes she would just start yodeling! It was totally insane! I think in addition to taking an AIDS test you should have to undergo a psychiatric evaluation to visit the commune. I know I am totally judging here and have a LONg way to go but the whole Osho path seems so selfish to me. I really believe with all my heart that “To whom much is given, much is expected” and while I understand you can’t really know if you are truly helping if you aren’t enlightened there is absolutely no real emphasis on protecting the environment and helping others but I know that wasn’t what Osho was about.

Even though I totally failed with practicing “openness” I think that even Thich Nhat Hanh would have found the whole “Osho experience” beyond absurd. And just how I thought a lot of what went on there was ridiculous and strange I’m sure if someone walked in on my sangha singing Thich Nhat Hanh’s Plum Village songs they would think we were a bunch of weirdos too—it’s all relative I guess. So, if you are into reading Osho I would suggest sticking to just reading his stuff and not visiting the commune in Pune unless you are only looking for a really good laugh—which you will definitely get. I’m glad I spent a few days there, I have no regrets. I’ve had enough laughter to last the next few years and it was such an amusing way to start my Winter Travels! I’ll be laughing about this whole experience for years to come! I haven’t even shared half of the insanity I encountered there. I could write a novel about the characters I encountered there.  Still, I did meet some genuinely sweet people there. I met a young man with down syndrome  who I really connected with and unlike me he was able to just not judge and truly roll with the “Osho Experience.” When I was in Middle School I spent every study hall volunteering in my school’s Special Education classroom and worked at a school for autistic children the summer before I went to college and always felt like I was being helped more than I was helping.

I just arrived in Aurangabad and am off to visit the Ellora Caves but just had to send out this email—I’ve been laughing so much and writing this has helped me let a lot out. I have to stop laughing to myself or else people will think I’m crazy! My stomach is really sore, ouch! I don’t think it is possible to laugh this much. In fact, I was thinking about one of our interpretive dance sessions this morning and I walked into a glass door, ouch!

Pune itself is a really cool city. In fact, after Pondicherry it just might be the most chill place I’ve ever visited in India and I could totally come back here and spend a lot of time. Visiting the Iyengar studio was awesome. I got to observe BKS Iyengar’s daughter, Geeta teach an all women’s intermediate two-hour Iyengar class. Wow, Geeta-ji is super strict and was yelling a lot throughout the class! The class was almost all Indian women and I was impressed with just how strong they all were. Unlike many female yoga practitioners in the US all of the women (even the few foreigners there) were anything but “traditionally slim and fit.” In fact, each woman had a pretty enormous tooshie and so does Geeta-ji and they were all wearing these tiny shorts. It’s funny how different yoga is in India and how us Westerners have such deep conditioning with respect to our bodies etc. The studio itself was gorgeous and I’ll post pictures on facebook when I can! 

After Ajanta and Ellora I’m off to Bodh Gaya where I’m taking some courses with this amazing American Nun, Ven. Tenzin Chogkyi who was in retreat for 6 ½ years at the Root Institute. I am also hoping to get seeds from THE Bodhi tree to plant back in the states!

Well Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

 Smiling and Giggling,

 Meena

 

“My finger can point to the moon, but my finger is not the moon. You don’t have to become my finger, nor do you have to worship my finger. You have to forget my finger, and look at where it is pointing.” – Osho, The Rebel

Mindfulness Teaching with Ven. Sudhammacara

Wow! Today I had the opportunity to attend a teaching with an amazing Japanese Buddhist Monk, Venerable Sudhammacara at Radhika Rawley’s home in Delhi. Talk about coming at exactly the right time–the weeks before the Holidays must be the most insane! On my way home after the teaching I shared a cab with some lovely women into the dharma. One was from Ireland and we just bonded over our love for my teacher Thay. I love Thich Nhat Hanh so much. I’m at a loss for words. She was sharing with me how Thay’s books seem to lift her out of the darkest places and how his teaching on Emptiness on the last day of the Delhi retreat blew her a way. I still remember someone yelling, “Don’t Go!” and all of the monastics singing…”No coming, no going…” I saw a lot of Thay’s teachings in Ven. Sudhammacara’s talk on Mindfulness.  I feel so blessed to have my teacher Thay. I just love him so much. What follows are my notes from today’s teachings:

Mindfulness 

freedom from our own mind…anxiety or fear is the strongest negative emotion, not even anger. 

the purpose of meditation is to stop suffering

why do we observe the breathe to stop suffering? we need to investigate the nature of suffering

only one kind of suffering (not only suffering from ager, relationships etc.) YOU ARE ONLY SUFFERING FROM YOUR MIND!

we need to understand the nature of suffering and we realize we only have the suffering of our own mind.

you are not suffering from not having enough money. you are suffering from anxious thoughts of not having enough $.

if we check our mind we find we are suffering from fear

we are constantly speaking in our heads.

non stop thinking is the essence of suffering

stop anxious thinking to end suffering

we can’t stop thinking unless we use some kind of meditation

thinking and watching the breath cannot be done at the same time

if you feel mental agony you are doing something wrong, instead of stopping thinking you are using thinking.

the situation doesn’t change but you feel peace and stillness and a fundamental shift occurs in your consciousness

meditation should be joyful effort

thinking vs. awareness

when you are thinking your mind goes everywhere but the present moment

the mind doesn’t go to the present moment because you can’t think in the present moment.

you can only observe the breath, you cannot think, only think in the past and future

all our suffering is from nonstop thinking which is torturing us

to free ourselves of torture we must go to the present moment

completely new consciousness and awareness

for hindus the thinking mind in maya (Ramana Maharshi)

stop thinking and you see the world as it is

we are wearing very thick glasses and we see the world through our crazy thinking and believe this is reality

we must take off the glasses and stop thinking when we do this we see the world as it is which is peaceful, beautiful, joyful

we have misery as long as we wear the glasses

breath is a crystal clear method, no excuse or ambiguity

clear difference between thinking and awareness

(Thay) if we do things as a means to an end then we are not present

we must do things for the sake of doing

blue sky, white clouds (thinking mind) the breath helps us make a gap in nonstop thinking

(Krishnamurti) in a teaching he once said, “I will share my secret” his secret was that he doesn’t mind what happens, he knows the blue sky! we have to see the blue sky in order to have understanding–emptiness

thinking, emotion and body are part of it–we are an emanation of the blue sky

His master from the Soto school said that when he attained Enlightenment his body and mind dropped

people suffer because people are greedy

human beings are deceived by our own mind

we are full of fear

without a spiritual practice we can’t have any real solutions to the worlds problems–the env, spiritual, and political movements must join together into one movement

fear and cynicism is the problem

oprah promoted both eckhart tolle and obama–she listens to her heart and just knows

Keep The Spark

Just got this forwarded to me from my mom and it came at just the right time. I had an off day…my students felt that an exam I gave them was unfair and I took it personally…This is just what I needed to read! 

This is…. Inaugural Speech by Chetan Bhagat for the new batch at the symbiosis BBA program 2008…ranks as one of the best speech one would have heard… 

Keep the Spark                                                            
Good Morning everyone and thank you for giving me this chance to speak to you. This day is about you. You, who have come to this college, leaving the comfort of your homes (or in some cases discomfort), to become something in your life. I am sure you are excited. There are few days in human life when one is truly elated.  The first day in college is one of them.  When you were getting ready today, you felt a tingling in your stomach. What would the auditorium be like, what would the teachers be like, who are my new classmates – there is so much to be curious about. I call this excitement, the spark within you that makes you feel truly alive today. Today I am going to talk about keeping the spark shining. Or to put it another way, how to be happy most, if not all the time.                
                                                                            
Where do these sparks start? I think we are born with them. My 3-year old twin boys  have a million sparks. A little Spiderman toy can make them jump on the bed. They get thrills from creaky swings in the park.A story  
from daddy gets them excited. They do a daily countdown for birthday party - several months in advance – just for the day they will cut their own birthday cake.                                                            
                                                                            
I see students like you, and I still see some sparks.. But when I see older people,  the spark is difficult to find.. That means as we age, the spark fades. People whose spark has faded too much are dull,dejected,      
aimless and bitter. Remember Kareena in the first half of Jab We Met vs the second half? That is what happens when the spark is lost.  So how to save the spark?                                                            
                                                                            
Imagine the spark to be a lamp’s flame. The first aspect is nurturing – to give your spark the fuel, continuously. The second is to guard against storms.                                                                    
                                                                            
To nurture, always have goals. It is human nature to strive, improve and achieve full potential. In fact, that is success. It is what is possible for you. It isn’t any external measure – a certain cost to company pay package, a particular car or house.                                        
                                                                            
Most of us are from middle class families. To us, having material landmarks is success and rightly so. When you have grown up where money constraints force everyday choices, financial freedom is a big achievement.                                                              
But it isn’t the purpose of life. If that was the case, Mr Ambani would not show up for work. Shah Rukh Khan would stay at home and not dance anymore. Steve Jobs won’t be working hard to make a better iPhone, as he  
sold Pixar for billions of dollars already. Why do they do it? What makes them come to work everyday?                                                
They do it because it makes them happy. They do it because it makes them feel alive. Just getting better from current levels feels good. If you study hard, you can improve your rank. If you make an effort to interact  with people, you will do better in interviews. If you practice, your cricket will get better. You may also know that you cannot become Tendulkar, yet. But you can get to the next level. Striving for that next level is important.                                                        
Nature designed  with a random set of genes and circumstances in which we were born. To be happy, we have to accept it and make the most of nature’s design. Are you? Goals will help you do that.                              
                                                                            
I must add, don’t just have career or academic goals. Set goals to give you a balanced, successful life. I use the word balanced before successful. Balanced means ensuring your health, relationships, mental peace are all in good order.                                              
                                                                            
There is no point of getting a promotion on the day of your breakup. There is no fun in driving a car if your back hurts. Shopping is not enjoyable if your mind is full of tensions.                                          
                                                                            
You must have read some quotes -  Life is a  tough race, it is a marathon or whatever.. No, from what I have seen so far, life is one of those races in nursery school. Where you have to run with a marble in a spoon kept in your mouth. If the marble falls, there is no point coming first. Same with life, where health and relationships are the marble. Your striving is only worth it if there is harmony in your life. Else, you may achieve the success, but this spark, this feeling of being excited and alive, will start to die.                                                              
One last thing about nurturing the spark – don’t take life seriously. One of my yoga teachers used to make students laugh during classes. One student asked him if these jokes would take away something from the yoga practice. The teacher said  – don’t be serious, be sincere. This quote has defined my work ever since. Whether its my writing, my job, my relationships or any of my goals. I get thousands of opinions on my        
writing everyday. There is heaps of praise, there is intense criticism. If I take it all seriously, how will I write? Or rather, how will I live?   Life is not to be taken seriously, as we are really temporary here. We are like a pre-paid card with limited validity. If we are lucky, we may last another 50 years. And 50 years is just 2,500 weekends. Do we really need to get so worked up? It’s ok, bunk a few classes, goof up a few interviews, fall in love. We are people, not programmed devices.                                                        
                                                                            
I’ve told you three things – reasonable goals, balance and not taking it  too seriously that will nurture the spark. However, there are four storms in life that will threaten to completely put out the flame.These must be guarded against. These are disappointment, frustration, unfairness and loneliness of purpose.                                                    
Disappointment will come when your effort does not give you the expected return. If things don’t go as planned or if you face failure. Failure is  extremely difficult to handle, but those that do come out stronger. What did this failure teach me? is the question you will need to ask. You will feel miserable. You will want to quit, like I wanted to when nine publishers rejected my first book. Some IITians kill themselves over low grades – how silly is that? But that is how much failure can hurt you. But it’s life. If challenges could always be overcome, they would cease to be a challenge. And remember – if you are failing at something, that means you are at your limit or potential. And that’s where you want to be.      
                                                                            
Disappointment’s cousin is  frustration, the second storm.  Have you ever  been frustrated? It happens when things are stuck. This is especially relevant in India . From traffic jams to getting that job you deserve, sometimes things take so long that you don’t know if you chose the right goal. After books, I set the goal of writing for Bollywood, as I thought they needed writers. I am called extremely lucky, but it took me five years to get close to  a release.                                          
                                                                            
Frustration saps excitement, and turns your initial energy into something negative, making you a bitter person. How did I deal with it? A realistic assessment of the time involved – movies take a long time to make even    
though they are watched quickly, seeking a certain enjoyment in the process rather than the end result – at least I was learning how to write scripts  , having a side plan – I had my third book to write and even something as simple as pleasurable distractions in your life  – friends, food, travel can help you overcome it. Remember, nothing is to be taken seriously. Frustration is a sign somewhere, you took it too seriously.    
                                                                            
Unfairness - this is hardest to deal with, but unfortunately that is how our country works. People with connections, rich dads, beautiful faces, pedigree find it easier to make it – not just in Bollywood, but            
everywhere. And sometimes it is just plain luck. There are so few opportunities in India , so many stars need to be aligned for you to make it happen. Merit and hard work is not always linked to achievement in the short term, but the long term correlation is high,and ultimately things do work out. But realize, there will be some people luckier than you.      
In fact, to have an opportunity to go to college and understand this speech in English means you are pretty darn lucky by Indian standards. Let’s be grateful for what we have and get the strength to accept what we  
don’t. I have so much love from my readers that other writers cannot even imagine it. However, I don’t get literary praise. It’s ok. I don’t look like Aishwarya Rai, but I have two boys who I think are more beautiful    
than her. It’s ok. Don’t let unfairness kill your spark..                  
                                                                            
Finally, the last point that can kill your spark is isolation. As you grow older you will realize you are unique. When you are little, all kids want Ice cream and Spiderman. As you grow older to college, you still are a lot 
like your friends. But ten years later and you realize you are unique. What you want, what you believe in, what makes you feel, may be different from even the people closest to you. This can create conflict as your      
goals may not match with others.  And you may drop some of them. Basketball captains in college invariably stop playing basketball by the time they have their second child. They give up something that meant so much to them. They do it for their family. But in doing that, the spark dies. Never, ever make that compromise.Love yourself first, and then others.                                                                    
                                                                            
There you go. I’ve told you the four thunderstorms -  disappointment, frustration, unfairness and isolation. You cannot avoid them, as like the monsoon they will come into your life at regular        
intervals. You just need to keep the raincoat handy to not let the spark die.                                                                      
                                                                            
I welcome you again to the most wonderful  years of your life. If someone gave me the choice to go back in time, I will surely choose college. But I also hope that ten years later as well, your eyes will shine the same way as they do today. That you will Keep the Spark alive, not only through college, but through the next 2,500 weekends.And I hope not just you, but my whole country will keep that spark alive, as we really need it now more than any moment in history. And there is something cool about saying – I come from the land of a billion sparks.      

Nonviolence, Swadeshi, Self-Reliance and Simplicity: A Gandhian Response in Times of Economic Meltdown and Terrorism

Nonviolence, Swadeshi, Self-Reliance and Simplicity: A Gandhian Response in Times of Economic Meltdown and Terrorism

 

What follows are my notes from an inspiring afternoon at the India International Center in Delhi. I attended a panel discussion with Dr. Vandana Siva, Satish Kumar, Peter Sellers and Ashish Ramgobin.

 

How is Gandhi relevant in times of a financial crisis?

 

This is an amazing potential to transform…

 

The bailout is asking us to consume more, consumption gets a boost in times of crisis. Are there other ways?

 

Satish Kumar

Was in US during 9/11, US response has not brought an end to terrorism, the idea that weapons do not bring security…if this was possible the US would be the most secure nation on earth but it has no real security. 4000 US soldiers have died and continue to die. What is the response of terrorist attacks in the context of Gandhian principles and reality.

No end and no solution in sight, go beyond and find the root causes. We are very intelligent people yet we have not found solutions to our chronic problems—Israel and Palestine, Kashmir. We don’t know how to solve our conflicts. Technology cannot solve our problems. As people we have to raise our awareness and voice.

What is driving people to kill themselves and kill others? Gandhi said there are many things I am prepared to die for but none I am prepared to kill for. We need to go deeper and search for the root causes. Communities have stuck together after the attacks. Terrorism is a way for us to come together—a good chance for India and Pakistan to come together. Credit crunch, bail out banks, free market and globalization is the solution. What have the realists achieved? The Ivy League educated have left us in the state where we are. We’ve had enough of realism. The economy cannot survive without ecology. You must know your place in the scheme of nature. Economy is a subtext of the biosphere. SARVODAYA – upliftment of all

 

Ashish Ramgobin (Participative Development Initiative)

South Africa—liberation, nonviolent measure bringing a common principle of humanity. Sanctions are the least spoken about tools but the last straw that broke the camels back to end apartheid. Nelson Mandela was released because the economy was failing. Problems in South Africa are exactly the same. There is a notion of patriotism outside of India that isn’t in India. The circumstances and situations of today demand a different response.  Why did people follow Gandhi? What do we need as a global community? People should rule themselves, governments rule on greed and power corruption is everywhere. It takes two people to make corruption happen. Activism, there is something that needs to be done on the basis of moral regeneration. Self-reliance is an economic reaction. We need to look at alternate media, alternate education systems. We need to start from the bottom up. Gandhi didn’t start with attacking the British he mobilized the poor. How do we see the poor? Look within ourselves.

Peter Sellers (“There is plenty of doing to do”)

This is a new chapter. All of us are the great grandchildren of Gandhi. New models of citizenship, leadership. Internet community…based on moral conviction and spiritual search…solidarity not reduced by the power of money. Democracy’s in the US mostly purchased…Obama raised money in small amounts by many people responding to his idealism. The 21^st century was hijacked by Bin Laden and Bush but now we can begin with idealism, not as a distant hope but the only option. Things that are not sustainable collapse. Do we have the alternative ready? Do we have the blue prints for the alternative ready? For artists, idealism is the clay we sculpt an image of justice in. We need to respond to the hunger today and prepare our imagination for the next political reality. Mozart…image of equality first created in art. Alternative information systems—what art always was. Can we demonstrate equality? The 6^th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita can only be realized in a temple. The task of the artist is to create a space for accuracy and precision, experiments with Truth, democracy people are starved of. In Ancient Greece as important as the senate was the theatre, each of us as beings are infinite. Infinity is our very being. If you lived in Athens you had to vote to attend the theatre. In the theatre, music, poetry and dance is where the voiced of the unheard are heard. Listen deeply to the unheard voices to keep democracy alive. The project for the arts is to create the space for truth. The lack of communication is why there is violence. We need to open the channels of communication and stop violence and communicate with skill. How do you bless the person who is killing you? This is satyagraha—Nelson Mandela is forming a government with those who want to kill him. Mozart’s last opera…responsibility and representation. No one is safe until the most troubled voice in the room is not suffering. Truth is found in the spaces between us, larger than each of us, owned by none of us. The ability to share a measure of what we embody. We need to create with imagination and energy, this shared space, the larger truth becomes sacred. Greek Olympics…what was impossible yesterday is possible today. Democracy of achievement, there is nothing impossible. Empower the beautiful, astounding generation.

 

Questions

 

What would Gandhi do?

 

He would begin with the poor (WPA created by FDR, the government empowered the weakest). We need to find and recover our soul and rebuild our values and humanity

 

India’s youth lured into call centers are the lost generation, lives taken from them. $ they get is not worth the psychological melt down, no skills aside from working in a call center. IT has saved 40 billion by moving to India and it has created a class of socially brutal, environmentally irresponsible. Globalization has stolen 15 years from these youth.

 

Emerging generation we need to move beyond narrow identity

 

Assuming that the earth is limitless limits us!

 

Take what we have learned from Gandhi and take it forward two more steps.

 

We have to move from defining ourselves from the opposition. What are we for?

 

Right livelihood, not being a consumer, invite young people to be creators

 

Limits generate abundance

 

(Jesus) worse than murdering when we think someone is less than us. This is the worst form of mental violence.

 

Masses is a term from the 20^th century (mass production) we need to NOT take it with us to the 21^st century. Everyone is unique.

 

We need patience, it will take longer but the roots will go deeper. The wisdom of India is that we can grow slowly with deep roots across many generations. This is the only thing that will save the planet. We can create small zones of quality. Anything on a mass scale loses quality.

 

Right now movements are emptied of their spiritual power.

 

What we’ve built in 200 years has destroyed everything before. Wanting to move quickly we have destroyed the planet.

 

Communication is not only through words, real communication is through living examples. Live it and practice it. Transformation is about understanding the limits of oneself as an agent of chance.

 

When we try to measure things we lose the infinity of spirit. You can never know the effects of your actions. All you can do is commit deeply.

 

Rembrandt, Cezanne—change the world through art

 

Science and Spirituality…Everything is a part of God…no room for self doubt

 

Indian Opinion (1903-1906)

 

Ashish – how different we all see the world…we all believe in Gandhi’s teaching and want a better world but we will contribute in different ways…see if you can change the life of even one person

 

Gandhi would have asked, “What would you do?” each of us has to understand ourselves, truth and justice and apply it with in ourselves.

 

Never make an excuse and don’t be afraid to walk on the danger path.

Thanksgiving in Bhutan: Happiness, Deathlessness & Hope

Thanksgiving in Bhutan: Happiness, Deathlessness & Hope

 

Thanksgiving morning in Thimphu I awoke to the news of the violence Mumbai. Just hours before the terrorist attacks took place I was speaking with Bhutanese youth from radio station Kuzoo about how the world crises we face present us with an opportunity to move towards a new consciousness where we are more connected and teachers have a crucial role to play and must be filled with optimism. The magnitude and scale of the attacks in Mumbai is shocking and it makes my heart ache but I have to remind myself that the best thing about impermanence is that it gives me hope that things can be better. When I go to school tomorrow morning and see my students for the first time since the attacks all I can do is tell them that the more misguided the more compassion we have to have—the terrorists are victims too and we must not lose faith in humanity and continue to have hope.

 

I traveled to Bhutan to give a presentation on Educational Practice at the Fourth Annual Gross National Happiness Conference. More than thirty years ago, the Fourth King, His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuk, felt that his country’s success should be evaluated by the degree to which its citizens are happy. Essentially, gross national happiness (GNH) is more important than gross national product (GNP). The four “pillars” of GNH include: environmental conservation, socio-economic development, preservation and promotion of cultural heritage and good governance.

 

I would be lying if I said that Gross National Happiness is alive and kicking in Bhutan but I would also be lying if I said it was just a catch phrase to attract foreign tourists. The truth is most Bhutanese are unfamiliar with GNH even though it is grounded in Buddhist philosophy and Bhutanese culture. Some of the researchers at the Center for Bhutan Studies (the organizers of the conference) told me that even though many Bhutanese are unfamiliar with GNH it doesn’t matter because the majority of them live the values embedded in GNH. Regardless, GNH as an actual policy hasn’t really been operationalized since the King first espoused the idea.

 

The first GNH conference was held in Bhutan in 2004 and it focused on the purpose and meaning of life. Since then, two additional conferences have been held, one in Canada and another in Thailand. Close to 80 researchers and presenters from more than 25 countries gathered in Thimphu for a multi-layered discourse centered on the theme of “Practice and Measurement” and translating GNH into real policy. The idea is that if you can’t measure it then it doesn’t exist so a bulk of the conference involved economists going over indicators and indexes to measure and account for well-being. But “happiness” and “well-being” are elusive, complex phenomena and it seemed that any attempt to quantify them would be imperfect. Still, a lot is being done in this field. In November of 2007 the European Council held “Beyond GDP” and Nicholas Sarkozy has commissioned Amartya Sen and Joseph Stiglitz to measure “quality of life” and their report will come out in April of 2009. Last Spring, I read a book by Richard Layard, an economist and Professor at the London School of Economics entitled “Happiness as Science” and even though I can see how he isn’t well received in academic circles he has done a lot of work advising the UK government.

 

My contribution to the conference focused on GNH as practice. It is crucial to focus on measurement but I feel that one of the dangers in all of this quantification is that the actual practice can be lost. I shared how as a teacher, inspired by the values embedded in GNH, I attempted to practice them in the classroom through creating educational activities that promote GNH philosophy. In the education portion of the conference I was actually the only presenter that had ever taught in a K-12 classroom. It reminded me of my experience when I was interning at UNESCO’s International Bureau of Education last summer in Geneva. IBE basically advises countries on what to teach and how to teach yet none of the researchers had ever actually taught! I showed the films my students have made for “Project Happiness,” lesson plans I’ve crafted on how ethics relates to happiness and student work. Education is much more than imparting knowledge and skills and the values embedded in Gross National Happiness can promote an ethical, ecological outlook that has the potential to make our world a better place for all its inhabitants. The values of compassion, patience, tolerance, forgiveness, contentment, harmony and social responsibility must be taught in schools and modeled by teachers and administration must make this a priority. Much to my surprise the presentation went better than I could have ever expected and it has rippled out in ways I never imagined and it seems like it will continue to ripple. I have so much more to learn and honestly have no idea of what I’m doing most of the time but for some reason mindful educational development consultants came to speak to me, Bhutanese youth interviewed me for their local radio station, and educators from all over the world want to start dialoging on how we can translate GNH into a classroom practice.  Personally, I think it has to start with training teachers. I don’t know where this all will lead but I’ve learned that it is best not to ask questions and just sit back and enjoy the ride. You just never know where life will take you!  

 

This fall, Bhutan celebrates 100 years of monarchy with the coronation of the fifth King. His Majesty King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk is exactly 12 days older than me. The foreign delegates to the conference were invited to a lunch at the Royal Banquet Hall given by the King. Each one of us was formally presented to the King and then we all sat down to lunch. Maybe it was because I was wearing a bright orange Indian outfit but much to my surprise (and everyone else’s envy) the King sat in the seat right next to me! I have to admit I was nervous at first but he was so gracious and spoke to me at great length about education in Bhutan. He said that it was very important for teachers to give individualized attention and know that each child is different. I asked him how Bhutan can modernize its educational system without compromising local wisdom. I also asked him about the conflict I see with Western educational models that stress the individual and how this directly conflicts with the Buddhist teaching of no-self which is an issue for Bhutan’s majority Buddhist population. He didn’t have a clear answer to my questions and said that education is very important and that these are critical questions that the Bhutanese government had to address. Initially, curriculum was imported from India just to get something out there and thankfully the government is currently in the process of revamping curriculum. The King spent one year at Wheaton College in Massachusetts but they asked him to leave because he didn’t perform well academically. He also spent a year at Oxford but he has no formal degree. But he doesn’t need a degree, he needs to learn how to be King and it seems as if his people love him—I’ve never seen anything like it! When I asked him if he saw himself as a global promoter of GNH he told me that he just wants to travel around his country and really get to know his people and he doesn’t see himself traveling abroad much in the next few years. During my short time in Bhutan I experienced the deep love most Bhutanese citizens have for both their King and their country. I have a Bhutanese student in New Delhi and he always tells me that he cannot wait to return to Bhutan. Many Bhutanese I spoke with that spent time studying outside of Bhutan told me how much they missed their country when they were away.

 

Last Spring, this tiny Himalayan nation with a population of about 650,000 became the world’s youngest democracy. The current King’s father who was also universally loved by most of his people decreed the drafting of a constitution and the creation of a democracy. In the past decade the fourth King began stepping back from decision making positions and in November of 2001 commanded the drafting of a Constitution. The construction of the constitution was absolutely fascinating! Constitutions of other countries were studied by the Constitution Drafting Committee and His Majesty the King discussed the draft with a representative of every Bhutanese family in this country the size of Switzerland. Still, many academics feel that Bhutan is only a democracy in name and there is a Nepali minority that doesn’t seem to have much of a voice along with non-Buddhists.  Even so, I spoke with a few Nepali-Bhutanese that are from the southern part of the country and all of them still shared in their love for Bhutan. Bhutan is a complex place and in my week here I’ve only scratched the surface. 

 

Exactly two weeks before I came to Bhutan I attended dharma teachings with Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche (the Bhutanese Lama, writer and film maker responsible for “The Cup” and “Travelers and Magicians”). When the teachings ended I told him I was traveling to Bhutan for the GNH conference and he shared his skepticism about GNH with me. In Bhutan I had the chance to speak with Sonam Kinga, a member of the National Council and the actor who plays the monk in “Travelers and Magicians” and he shared some of Khyentse Norbu’s sentiments. I met a young Bhutanese woman whose teacher is Khyentse Norbu and she told me that he wanted the Center for Bhutan Studies which is headed by a very sharp gentleman, Dasho Karma Ura, to organize a GNH conference just for monks. I think this would be an excellent idea because the monks could really play more of an engaged role in society, the type of role my beloved teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh, advocates. An Oxford trained Western economist that closely advises the Bhutanese government told me that there are plans to have monks work as school teachers and the monks are beginning to recognize the need to espouse human values that are not so Buddhist specific.

 

The Prime Minister, Lyonchhen Jigmi Y Thinley, gave the keynote address at the conference and he posed some challenging questions in his opening remarks: “How does one go about persuading people to adopt a new ethical paradigm that rejects consumerism? Is it enough for us to know how to measure happiness and to hope that this will influence policy making? How do we as academics, thinkers, scientists, leaders and concerned citizens change our own way of life and behavior?” I don’t have any clear answers to the Prime Minister’s questions but I know that change can only occur when we begin asking the right questions and change must begin with ourselves. Clearly, the old way hasn’t served our society well—we are faced with numerous crisis (food, financial, fuel, environmental etc.) Next year’s conference will be in Southern Brazil, from November 5-9. The website www.grossnationalhappiness.com was launched in Bhutan during the conference. If I am able to attend it will be great to see all of my Brazilian friends! Between now and then I hope there will be more answers to some of the Prime Minister’s questions.

 

It is important not to romanticize GNH. Like any place Bhutan has many problems and in my week here I haven’t even begun to tackle the complexity of issues this country faces. Many rural Bhutanese want to move to Thimphu because materially speaking it is better off and this shows a complete absence of GNH. Annually, Thimphu residents earn an average of Nu. 320,000 (47 = about $1 USD) compared to Nu. 20,000 in Wangduephodrang.

 

In his closing address, the editor of Bhutan’s National Newspaper, Kuensel, Kinley Dorji said: “GNH must be radically reinterpreted as a responsibility. Gross National Happiness is not a promise of happiness. Happiness is an individual pursuit. GNH is a mandate of the state, a responsibility of the government, to create the right environment for our citizens to seek happiness…For Bhutan democracy is not the goal. It is a path to good governance which is a pillar of Gross National Happiness…but where do democracy and GNH meet? …For Bhutan, GNH must be the skillful means of survival.”  Discussing where democracy and GNH meet is a crucial conversation that needs to take place. There are talks about gathering the world’s top thinkers on this subject in the next year.

 

Both during and after the conference I was able to do some sight seeing and as usual tried to learn as much as I could. If I had the time and energy this email would be 100 pages long but I’m composing it on my flight home just so I don’t forget the essence of what I’ve experienced in the past week. Bhutan was first opened up to tourists in 1961 and its early history is steeped in Buddhist tradition. The country is known as “Druk Yul” which means “land of the thunder dragon,” to its inhabitants since the 13th century. The official language is Dzongkha which is similar to Tibetan (though they fought wars with the Tibetans in the past).  Not too far from the beautiful dzong (fort-monastery) where the lovely film “Little Buddha” was shot there is a path that leads to Tibet and takes only one day. The people call themselves Drukpa, and their religion is the Drukpa Kagyupa lineage of Mahayana Buddhism. 

 

I visited many dzongs (there are 2,007 in the country) including the famous Tiger’s Nest, also known as Taktshang, where Padma Sambhava is said to have flown to the site of the monastery on the back of a tigress. He then meditated in a cave there for three months. The dzong is perched on the side of a cliff, 900m above the Paro Valley. The original dzong was destroyed in a fire in 1998 and was rebuilt only a few years back. The climb up is breathtaking and I spent most of my time climbing to the dzong chanting the mantras for Padma Sambhava which I learned this summer from the nuns I taught English to in Ladakh. Well, the cave in which Padma Sambhava meditated is still in tact and luckily I was able to just sit and meditate there for quite some time and receive a blessed necklace which I am wearing right now with Padma Sambhava’s picture on it from one of the monks.

 

There is a small meditation hall I was able to sit in where one of his consorts, Yeshe Tsogyal, practiced. Speaking of female dharma practitioners I unfortunately was unable to make it to Bumthang where a spiritual institute, the Pema Choling Anam Shaydra, seeks to empower anims (nuns). I was pleasantly pleased with the confidence Bhutanese women seemed to exude. The Bhutanese women I spoke to told me there is no such thing as dowry in Bhutan, no arranged marriages and women were encouraged to be educated. While this is refreshing news, in a documentary on Bhutan entitled, “The Middle Path” Kuensel Editor, Kinley Dorji, said that in the past an attractive Bhutanese woman was one who was a good worker and a good mother but since television was introduced to Bhutanese society many young Bhutanese girls think they are fat and unattractive if they don’t look like the women on TV. (One of the popular cartoon characters in Bhutan is a young girl named Meena!) There was a lot of discussion about how TV has adversely affected society since it only came to Bhutan in 1999. The Fourth King has multiple wives and polygamy is still practiced in Bhutan. I asked a young woman about polygamy and she just laughed and said with a smile, “It’s no big deal and it just teaches you not to take life to seriously.” This is an attitude we could all learn from time to time!

 

I came to Bhutan with the Middle School Principal at the American Embassy School, Dr. Barbara Sirotin (Barb is amazing, she was a former Superintendent in a few districts in the US and former Principal at the International School in Bangkok) and the Coordinator of our Indian Studies Program, Sharon Lowen (Sharon is one of India’s most famous classical Indian dancers and those of you that live in Delhi see her in the social pages every week). Barbara, Sharon and I chaired the Peace & Activism Task Force I launched at the American Embassy School last year and they have been great supporters of my commitment to promote an ethical, ecological, humanistic approach to education and all of my crazy ideas. Sharon also brought her 92 year old mother with us who is just amazing. I now have a “Bubbie” (I think that means grandma in Yiddish) to add to my global, spiritual family! I really love spending time with dynamic elders because they have so much to teach me, are great role models and mentors and they pass on such great life advice. Some of my favorite advice from this trip included: “Don’t be afraid to jump without a parachute.” “Don’t be bitter because only you suffer.” “Don’t trade the now for security in the future.” I also met so many wonderful, incredibly interesting individuals at the conference I know I will continue to stay in touch with.

 

At 28, I was the youngest foreign presenter at the conference and as crazy as it sounds I’ve spent most of my time in Bhutan with my “Bubbie,” Sharon’s mother. At 92, Ethel Lowen just might be the most amazing woman I’ve ever met. I’ve learned more from Ethel in the past eight days than I learned from anyone in my entire life and I can only hope to emulate her unique zest for life and love of learning as I age. My second day in Bhutan I actually found my first white hair and before meeting Ethel I may have pulled it out but instead I embraced it and combed it in front instead of hiding it behind the rest of my hair. In a lovely piece on “Dynamic Aging” she discusses what she learned about mindfulness from my beloved teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh. Much of what she writes incorporates the attitude necessary in order to live the values of GNH.

 

Ethel writes: “My way has been awareness of the connectedness of the human race, shared understanding of the joy and brevity of our trip on the planet. I have followed this mantra:  to not harm anymore, to not harm the planet, to not allow oneself to be harmed. The sentient state of awareness I first learned in New Delhi, at IIC (the Indian International Centre), during a lecture in the garden by Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese Buddhist monk. His simple lesson involved a huge basket of oranges brought in and distributed to the men and women in the group. The questioning began: How did these oranges get here?  Who planted their seeds? Who watered them? Who plucked them? How did they get to the city? Which hands passed them on and on till it reached our hands? How many journeys has this orange taken before it was peeled and eaten? How does a tiny seed grow and eventually fuse with our bodies and our histories? Throughout our lives we will eat many oranges. As a child we may experience the delight of the newness of its taste. We may not understand how it became an orange but we can enjoy it. As we grow into maturity, we can lose this awe and delight if we are not mindful of what we are doing. We must bring that orange back into focus again. And how do we shut out all of the noise of our daily lives while eating this orange? We hold it in our hands, and remember its history; focus on what connects us to the human experience of growing and eating oranges. We use this simple act of peeling and tasting a sweet slice of an orange, as a way of remembering that we are human. Like this orange, we are a part of a life cycle, and we pass through many hands and hearts to become who we are. And if we can do this with a simple orange, perhaps we can learn to do this in other areas of our lives, increasing the joy and peace obtained by the simple acts in life. And if we do this often enough, then the very last orange we eat in this life, will be the very sweetest, ripest, and will fill us with the greatest contentment as we pass pieces of it to the child sitting beside us, taking a first bite of life.”

 

Two months ago, at a retreat in Dehradun, my dear teacher (Thich Nhat Hanh) spoke in a very liberating way about “deathlessness”. He said: “I will never die. I see my continuation in my students, in my books, in the trees and in all of nature and humanity.” A few days after this retreat in Dehradun, he gave an inspiring talk at Gandhi Smriti on the eve of Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday. He spoke about how we must strive to see the continuation of Gandhi in each of us and notice his presence in all aspects of life. Doing this will inspire us and give us hope. I’m so very thankful for this time in Bhutan, it has been such a sacred gift because amidst all of the horrific violence that has occurred in Mumbai. I’ve been able to see the “continuation,” the “deathlessness” of Gandhi here and it gives me hope. GNH echoes much of what Gandhi stood for and even though they have a long way to go it seems as if the Bhutanese government is committed to a path that seems very much in line with Gandhian ideals.

 

Bhutan is a nation steeped in Tantric Buddhism. When I was visiting Tiger’s Nest I noticed on the altar that offerings of whisky and wine were made. I asked the monk why alcohol was being offered (even though having studied some Tantra I knew why) and he said that when alcohol is offered to a Bodhisattva a Bodhisattva can transform it into nectar. Tantra is all about transformation so it seems only fitting that this tiny Himalayan nation can inspire us with a philosophy to transform our own lives and as result transform the world.

 

Thich Nhat Hanh’s teachings continuously remind me that there are always conditions of happiness even in times of great tragedy. In fact, in these times of despair people reach out for no reason. Seeing my Indian features many Bhutanese have reached out to me, giving their condolences for the atrocious violence that has occurred in my ancestral homeland.

 

No matter what we must have courageous spirits. Maybe I’m too idealistic (I guess that’s why I’m a school teacher) but I’m not going to stop believing that things can get better.  So, as we deal with India’s own 9/11 let us remember Gandhiji and his commitment to peace. May we look for his continuation in others but most importantly within ourselves. Like Bodhisattvas may we take the pain we feel about the bloodshed in Mumbai and transform it into compassion and do whatever we can to promote peace and happiness and partake in acts of kindness.

 

Tomorrow morning at 8:35 am New Delhi time we will hold a moment of silence for the victims in Mumbai. I will then lead my students through a compassion meditation. Please join in and share in our prayers.

 

On Tuesday evening, December 2nd, an embodiment of peace and Gandhian ideals, Satish Kumar, will be speaking at the American Embassy School at 7pm. He will also be meeting with High School students in the afternoon. If you need more information about this event just send me an email or call me at AES. Gene Harrell and I are organizing his visit.

 

In Peace and Love,

 

Meena

 

“If we are peaceful, if we are happy, we can blossom like a flower, and everyone in our family, our entire society, will benefit from our peace.”- Thich Nhat Hanh

 

 

 

More Kahlil Gibran :)

Kahlil Gibran on Love 

When love beckons to you, follow him,
Though his ways are hard and steep.
And when his wings enfold you yield to him,
Though the sword hidden among his pinions may wound you.
And when he speaks to you believe in him,
Though his voice may shatter your dreams
as the north wind lays waste the garden. 

For even as love crowns you so shall he crucify you. Even as he is for your growth so is he for your pruning.
Even as he ascends to your height and caresses your tenderest branches that quiver in the sun,
So shall he descend to your roots and shake them in their clinging to the earth. 

Like sheaves of corn he gathers you unto himself.
He threshes you to make you naked.
He sifts you to free you from your husks.
He grinds you to whiteness.
He kneads you until you are pliant;
And then he assigns you to his sacred fire, that you may become sacred bread for God’s sacred feast. 

All these things shall love do unto you that you may know the secrets of your heart, and in that knowledge become a fragment of Life’s heart. 

But if in your fear you would seek only love’s peace and love’s pleasure,
Then it is better for you that you cover your nakedness and pass out of love’s threshing-floor,
Into the seasonless world where you shall laugh, but not all of your laughter, and weep, but not all of your tears.
Love gives naught but itself and takes naught but from itself.
Love possesses not nor would it be possessed;
For love is sufficient unto love. 

When you love you should not say, “God is in my heart,” but rather, “I am in the heart of God.”
And think not you can direct the course of love, for love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course. 

Love has no other desire but to fulfill itself.
But if you love and must needs have desires, let these be your desires:
To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night.
To know the pain of too much tenderness.
To be wounded by your own understanding of love;
And to bleed willingly and joyfully.
To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving;
To rest at the noon hour and meditate love’s ecstasy;
To return home at eventide with gratitude;
And then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart and a song of praise upon your lips.