"Let us rise up and be thankful,
for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little,
and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick,
and if we got sick, at least we didn't die;
so, let us all be thankful." - Buddha
Realities of Life - Thoughts on the Young Beggars!
India has poverty, the likes of which I have never seen before, and barely like to imagine. India is like the beggar and destitute capital of the world. It just broke our heart. I always remind myself that they may be manifestations of Bodhisattvas who are trying to spark whatever little bodhichitta and compassion we have. Every time we travel, we usually will bring boxes of thing ie. stationery, food etc etc for distribution. We tried to do something, but since there were so many even almost caused a riot especially in the tourist spot! Is't real??? There might be many fake beggars. But then, there are many real ones too. However, I would rather give them food rather then money.
Children are trained to be beggars in India. When we stopped at any places, clusters of begging children approached us, hoping for handouts. They aren't shy about it at all. They flit from vehicle to vehicle at each junction during traffic jams. They stick their little hands through the window until you pay attention to them. Then they look at you with their watery, brown, shiny eyes and put their hands to their mouth, showing that they want food and money. It was very sad to look at their ragged clothing, dirty skin and scrawny bodies.
Heart broken when I saw this little boy picture again. I still remembered that when we reached the Mata Kaur Shrine, Kushinagar, India, a crowd of children run towards us. He and friends quickly folded their palm in 'Namaste' and started to sing/chant so sadly.
Begging is the hardest, most heart-wrenching thing about India.
I'll not forget to pray and send my blessing to you all, all the times....
Let's share the seed of unconditional love to every corner of the world! May all being be well, enjoy real peace, harmony and abundance of happiness!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86TmTnK61RI
四無量心The Four Immeasurables
願一切有情具樂及樂因
願一切有情離苦及苦因
願一切有情具喜及喜因
願一切有情遠離怨親愛憎
常住大平等捨
May all sentient beings have happiness and its causes,
May all sentient beings be free from suffering and its causes.
May all sentient beings be inseparable with joy, which is without suffering.
May all sentient beings abide in equanimity, free of bias, attachment and anger.
~ 14/10/2011 ~
Bid farewell to a spectacular journey to India. Sad eyes looking to the Indian people bodies laying (overcrowding) all over at the Bodh Gaya railway station platforms.
So grateful to be home, my home sweet home is best of all! 感恩！
"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow." -- Melody Beattie
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