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Writings and Readings Blog

Madhu Bazaz Wangu

The Bhagavad Gita: An Introduction

Posted on January 29, 2010
in Being in Nature, Reading
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The Bhagavad-Gita, the "Song of the Lord," is a poem in the form of a dialogue. Although considered an independent sacred text it is part of the sixth book of the Hindu epic Mahabharata. The dialogue is between the warrior prince Arjuna and Krishna. Krishna is an incarnation of the cosmic power that has descended to the earth to restore order in times of chaos. He is Arjuna's charioteer, friend and teacher. At the beginning of the text Arjuna, the warrior prince, is endowed with physical prowess and intellectual tenacity. By the end, Krishna makes him aware of his Self, a spiritual heart. The dialogue takes place on a battlefield. The war that is about to begin is between two sets of cousins: five sons of Pandu, Pandavas and one...

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Lessons Learnt II: Dhammapada

Posted on January 8, 2010
in Being in Nature, Reading
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Lessons Learnt II: Dhammapada What we think, say or do have consequences. Sooner or later they come back to us. It may take years before we see the results of our thoughts, words and actions but they do come back--both good and bad. What we are today is the result of the choices we have made. 1. Observing Life's Impermanence The First Noble Truth, as taught by the Buddha, is that life is suffering, it is impermanent. Happiness and sorrow follow one another like shadow follows the body. The aim of human life is not so much the worldly happiness but the end of all suffering. We suffer because we thirst (in Sanskrit, trishna) for possessions, people and places. We constantly try to satisfy our cravings. It is fine to...

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Wishing You All A Warm Holiday Season!

Posted on December 11, 2009
in Being in Nature
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Dear Readers, We have concluded reading the Buddhist text Dhammapada. Did you enjoy reading it as much as the Taoist text Tao Te-Ching? More? Less? Was any one chapter in particular your favorite? Starting from January, 2010 I will post "Readings" from the Hindu scripture Bhagavad-Gita. The text recounts the tale of Arjuna, a prince. The setting is a battlefield. As a warrior it is Arjuna's duty to fight. The epic war is about to begin. As Arjuna (with his four brothers and their armies) confronts the armies of his rival cousins he is faced with this moral dilemma, how can I kill my kith and kin? What is the meaning of war? What is its purpose? His duty conflicts with his thoughts. Then his charioteer, the god Krishna, intercedes....

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Twenty-Sixth Chapter: Dhammapada

Posted on December 4, 2009
in Meditation, Reading
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Twenty-Sixth Chapter: Dhammapada The Brahmin 383. Cross the river, brahmin, conquer all your passions. Go beyond the world of dualities and know the deathless nirvana. 384. Cross the river, brahmin, conquer all your passions. Go beyond your likes and dislikes and all fetters will be broken. 385. Who is a genuine brahmin? The genuine brahmin is the one who has no likes or dislikes, and who is beyond fear. 386. Who is a genuine brahmin? The genuine brahmin is the one who has trained his mind to be calm and reached the supreme goal of life. 387. The sun shines in the day, the moon shines in the night. The warrior shines in the battleground, the brahmin in meditation. But the Buddha shines day and night in the radiance of love for all. 388. The...

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Twenty-Fifth Chapter: Dhammapada

Posted on November 27, 2009
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Twenty-Fifth Chapter: Dhammapada The Monk 360-61. Train your eyes and ears, train your nose and tongue. Senses are friends when they are trained. Train your body in deeds; train your tongue in words and train your mind in thoughts. When a monk trains himself he leaves sorrows behind. 362. The true monk is the one who has trained his hands, feet and words to train others. He meditates deeply, finds inner joy and lives in perfect peace. 363. The true monk repeats the sacred verses, lives a humble life, and explains dharma in sweet words. 364. The true monk follows the dharma, meditates on the dharma, rejoices in the dharma, and therefore never falls away from the dharma. 365. The true monk is the one who is content with the offerings he receives and is...

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Twenty-Fourth Chapter: Dhammapada

Posted on November 20, 2009
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Twenty-Fourth Chapter: Dhammapada Compulsive Cravings 334. The cravings of a thoughtless man grow like a creeper. Like a monkey he jumps from one life to another, looking for fruit in the forest. 335-36. When a man's cravings overcome him, his sorrows increase like the entangled creeper. But when a man overcomes his cravings his sorrows fall away like drops of water from a lotus flower. 337-38. Therefore cut off the bonds of desire like the creeper is cut from its fragrant roots, if you don't want Mara to crush you as the stream crushes reeds on its banks. Just as a tree, though cut down, grows again and again if the roots of compulsive urges are not extinguished, sorrows will come to you again and again. 339-40. Whenever the thirty-six streams of desire...

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Twenty-Third Chapter: Dhammapada

Posted on November 13, 2009
in Meditation, Reading
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Twenty-Third Chapter: Dhammapada Endurance 320. I will endure harsh words as the elephant endures arrows on the battlefield. People often lack self-control. 321. Only trained elephants go to the battlefield, only a trained elephant carries the king. The best among men are those who have trained their mind to endure harsh words patiently. 322-23. Mules are good animals when trained; even better are well-trained Sind horses and great elephants. Best among men is the one with well-trained mind. No animal can take you to Nirvana; only a well-trained mind can lead you to this untrodden path. 324. The elephant Dhanapalaka will not eat when he is captive, for he remembers the elephant grove. 325. Eating too much, sleeping too much, like an overfed hog those who are too lazy to exert, are born...

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Twenty-Second Chapter:Dhammapada

Posted on November 7, 2009
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The Downward Path 306. He who says what is not true, he who denies what he has done, both go towards downward path. After death these two become partners in falsehood. 307-08. Those who put on saffron robe but remain undisciplined and ill mannered are dragged down by their evil deeds. It is better for an undisciplined monk to swallow red-hot iron rather than to live on the charity of good people. 309-10. Adultery leads to loss of sleep, loss of merit, condemnation and suffering. What pleasure can there be in the embrace of frightened couple fearing punishment? Therefore do not commit adultery. 311. Just as a blade of kusha grass can cut the finger when it is wrongly held, the life of a monk without discrimination can send one on the...

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Is Silence Sacred?

Posted on November 7, 2009
in Being in Nature
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A decade or two ago, whatever little time we use to have to ourselves, walking, driving, shopping, biking, gardening or any other such activity seems to have been replaced by the hurly-burly of cell-phones, speakerphones, texting and twittering. Experiencing silence has become remote, even counter culture. We have become a culture of din and distraction in which it has become increasingly hard to find time to be by ourselves. In doing so we have lost a precious gift. Since time immemorial mystics and ascetics have experienced sublime in silence. In silence they discovered mystery that was greater than them. When they sat with themselves they paid attention to themselves. Similarly, when we sit by ourselves regularly we become aware of ourselves. We realize how important it is that we cultivate our...

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Twenty-First Chapter: Dhammapada

Posted on October 30, 2009
in Meditation, Reading
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Twenty-first Chapter: Dhammapada Miscellaneous 290. By forsaking a lesser happiness one may find a greater one. Let the wise give up the lesser to attain the greater. 291. A person who seeks happiness by making others unhappy ends up in the churn of hatred. 292. By not doing what should be done, and by doing what should not be done, the unmindful and arrogant only deepen their thoughtlessness. 293. Those who practice mindfulness will be aware what they are doing. They will not do what should not be done. They will do what needs doing. As a result their sinful desires will come to an end. 294-95. Having killed mother lust and father self-will, kill the kings of carnal passions and you will be freed from sins. The true brahmin has killed lust and...

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