Do not be idolatrous about or bound to any doctrine, theory, or ideology, even Buddhist ones. Buddhist systems of thought are guiding means; they are not absolute truth. Do not think the knowledge you presently possess is changeless, absolute truth. Avoid being narrow minded and bound to present views. Learn and practice non attachment from…

Shantideva, the Gentle Master, who wrote the classic book Entering the Bodhisattva Path (Bodhicharyavatara) twelve hundred years ago, said: “Anger is the greatest evil; patient forbearance is the greatest austerity.” Anger is thought to be the greatest negativity, just as killing is the greatest sin. Patience and forgiveness is said to be the greatest virtue, the hardest…

The darkest cloud has a silvery lining. The pall of night is lifted when the sun shines; in all its brightness and glory. Even if the struggle be hard, why be sad and gloomy? For, is not God, your Father, near you, to befriend you? Keep your mind still like waters of the deep lake….

“Give my greetings to Babaji. Say Ram Ram to him,” he said, “now you can go.” He pushed me out of his lap, and gave me a whack on my bum. I prostrated and walked back to where I was sitting, somewhere in the last row. That night, I stayed at the ashram. Someone kindly…

Naropa was a great scholar, a great pundit, with ten thousand disciples of his own. One day he was sitting surrounded by thousands of scriptures–ancient, very ancient, rare. Suddenly he fell asleep, must have been tired, and he saw a vision. He saw a very, very old, ugly, horrible woman–a hag. Her ugliness was such…

Sanjaya explains the condition of Arjuna, who was agitated due to attachment and fear. Lord Krishna rebukes him for his dejection, which was due to Moha or attachment, and exhorts him to fight. After failing to convince Sri Krishna through his seemingly wise thoughts, Arjuna realises his helplessness and surrenders himself completely to the Lord,…

There was an old woman, who was a seller of oil by profession. In her ninety years of human existence, she did nothing except selling oil. When her life was to end and she was about to die, all her relatives assembled around her. Looking at them, the woman said, “You are all here, I…

The great Mahabharata war between the Pandavas and the Kauravas took place on the holy plain of Kurukshetra. After the failure of Lord Krishna’s peace mission, when He Himself went to Hastinapura as the emissary of the Pandavas, there was no other alternative for the Pandavas but to engage in war for their rightful share…