67. Sweeter than honey, is human life.
Sakyas and Goliyas were fighting for the waters of Rohini River and even prepared for a war.
In the midst of that hurly-burly, Buddha entered there very calmly and asked, 'Do you respect this water because it is Rohini river water or is it for the benefits given by this water?'
They replied, 'Who will respect mere water? It is respected because of its benefits only; it is loved.'
'This water which is responsible for the war between the two sides, does it do good or does it do bad in this particular situation? Are you going to fight for this water which triggers the blood-shed filled war?' so saying, the Buddha went away. War also got dispersed.
- If you are fighting with your close ones for their certain wrong actions whom do you respect? The one close to you... or the wrongs...think for yourself and stop fighting.
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- 'Quarrel in relationships between lovers is necessary' Those who said this are those who did not know how to live with zeal.
- Lovers' quarrel is only the trial run or rehearsal of hatred deep in the mind.
- As long as one is attracted to the other, lover's quarrel will be there like smoke, in human relationships.
- The moment the attraction disappears, the deep-hearted hatred will burst forth instantly.
- The reason for the formation of hatred deep in the mind the disagreement between the illusory ideas of the mind of dreams about life and actual real life.
- All lovers' quarrels, all enthusiasm shown towards each other, all temporary joys happen only to those who drink the dream in real world.
- Ego is a collection of confused ideas. Ego is the master of imagination beyond limits.
- As the ego disappears, lovers' quarrel will go away. Enthusiasm will bubble up. Human life, sweeter than honey, will fructify.
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Lines written by the lady Zen Master Seeyano about the moment she got enlightenment....
'There was moon in the water in the bamboo bucket, which I was holding on my hips. At an unexpected moment, the bucket was broken. The moon as well as the water – both disappeared. There was nothing at all in my hand. I got drowned in the floods.'
We can understand these lines easily, if we know about Seeyano's life.
She was not accepted in any monastery, just for only one reason. The reason: Seeyano was very beautiful.
They refused her saying that it was dangerous to admit a beautiful lady into the ashram due to the atmosphere which existed then.
But, Seeyano had a sincere and severe spiritual quest.
We would not have thought even in our dreams, what she did to become a monk.
She thought, 'Is it that the beauty of my face is the obstruction?'
She went to the kitchen. She scratched her face here and there with a burning torch of fire wood and made it ugly! It will require a few minutes to conclude that Seeyano was a girl. The face had become ugly to that extent. Saying, now there is no harm, they admitted her in the monastery.
Continuously for thirty five years she had learnt many faiths. She also did all penances so as to say that there is no more left. But she could not get any salvation.
Then one day, Seeyano was walking, appreciating the reflection of the moon in the water in her bamboo bucket, she was carrying in her hips. Then at an unexpected moment, it happened. She got enlightened. She describes it as follows:
'That bamboo bucket, which was with me for twenty years, had lost its strength. At an unexpected moment, the bucket just broke down. Next second, the water and the moon disappeared. A wonder happened within me. I also disappeared.
At the time when the bamboo bucket broke up, my ego, which was made up of my mental ideas and illusions, also broke up. For both these things to break and fall off, the reason was that I was with my full awareness then!
Just like the fish which was in the river suddenly realizing that it was in the river only, I realized that I was surrounded by a flood of bliss or divine energy. I got drowned in the flood.'
The lady enlightened Master has written about her enlightenment experience, saying:
For so many years, the one that had been an obstruction was only the bucket made of bamboo splints called the mind.
Like the water which was isolated within the bucket, I got entangled and trapped in the mind and was isolated. The mind got broken at that moment.
We gather only from our life experiences all about our future, opinions about various people and other illusions.
This gathering starts right from our adolescent age and as our mental ideas and opinions which shatter our peace of mind, enter into us; then and there only ego gets created in us. Peace is lost.
The future is going to be very great; spouse should be like an emperor/empress – such mental ideas enter into a man at a young age itself.
Too many expectations which are absolutely impossible to fulfill in real practical life, suck away our peace of mind. And discontentment boils within us.
It is only the honey-moon days time when the dreams of very long times come to reality.
Why do they call it as honeymoon instead of honey sun?
To find out the answer, continue to read this further attentively...
Here only, for the first time in their lives, they come to meet with realities.
The duration of time when the dreams of, 'Life should be like this; life-partner should be like this' coming face to face with reality viz. 'Life is only this much' – is honey-moon.
The growing numbers of divorce cases confirm that, even thirty days are too long to realize that there is no connection at all between the dreams about life and real life.
'Love is for 60 days, infatuation is only for 30 days' are not adages said in a joking way. They are the expressions of psychological maturity of our ancestors.
A moon will not last longer than 16 days. Oh man! Your dreams also will not last longer than 16 days – this has been indirectly indicated as honey-moon in Tamil.
Do we dream really to see that life becomes sour in 16 days! The very nature of the dream itself is to exaggerate the natural and normal state and make sour the reality.
It is only the same ego that aids in the uncontrolled creation of dreams which prevents dreams from being experienced and enjoyed in real life.
If the dreams begin to become a reality, then it is destruction for the ego. Therefore, for the ego to survive, it will encourage you to dream. But the same ego will plan and make all prior arrangements to see that the dream is not realized in real life and that too through you only! It is so cunning!
What got broken inside Seeyano, was only this ego.
Just as the bamboo bucket had lost its strength since it was many years old, when we involve ourselves in the path of meditation, the illusory feet of the ego, that is the wrong notions and ideas will lose their strength.
Since the bamboo bucket of Seeyano broke down at an unexpected moment, one day the ego will break down within us. For a person, who does meditation consistently, this will be a surprise gift for him!
After that a life without dreams will be born. Going beyond the celebration for thirty days, called honey-moon, it will be a life-long celebration.
Then the celebration of life will be there through-out the year. Honeymoon will become Sun during the entire life.
We can enjoy all the 365 days of the year.
There is no chance at all for the life or life-partner to become boring for a man who has gone beyond dreams.
Begin to live beyond your mental notions. Let your life begin to be sweet as honey. Let the human life which is sweeter than honey belong to you too.
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A meaningful incident.
A reader's question: 'How the meditation done only for a short duration daily will make the strong mind lose its strength?'
Reply: Meditation and mind – are like the Hindu mother-in-law and daughterin-law. Both will not agree with each other. Somebody should win. Meditation is a new addition for you. Admit it daily! It knows the trick of bringing you and your mind under grip and control. Just allow meditation and see.
For a sweet and pleasant life to ripen...
Even if you voluntarily go and do 'simple meditation' it is good only.
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Meditation chisels. Chisel No.22.