Karma means ‘action’. According to the law of karma, there are inescapable results of our intentional actions.

There are deeds of body, speech and mind that lead to one’s own harm, to others’ harm, or to the harm of both. Such deeds are called ‘bad’ or ‘unwholesome’ karma. They are motivated by craving, ill will or delusion, and because they bring painful results, they should not be done.

There are also deeds of body, speech and mind that lead to one’s own well-being, to the well-being of others, or to the well-being of both. Such deeds are called ‘good’ or ‘wholesome’ karma. They are motivated by generosity, compassion or wisdom, and because they bring pleasant results, they should be done as often as possible.

Much of what one experiences is the result of one’s own previous karma. Thus when misfortune occurs, instead of blaming someone else, one can look for faults in one’s own past conduct. If a fault is found, the experience of its consequences will make one more careful in the future. When happiness occurs, instead of taking it for granted, one can look for the past good karma which caused it. If one can find such a cause, the experience of its pleasant results will encourage more good karma in the future.

The Buddha pointed out that no being whatsoever, divine or otherwise, has the power to stop the consequences of good and bad karma. The fact that one reaps just what one sows gives the Buddhist a powerful incentive to avoid all forms of bad karma and do as much good karma as possible.

Though one cannot escape the results of bad karma, one can lessen their severity. A spoon of salt mixed in a glass of water makes the whole glass very salty, whereas the same spoon of salt mixed in a freshwater lake hardly changes the taste of the water at all. Similarly, the results of bad karma in a person habitually doing only a small amount of good karma is painful indeed, whereas the result of the same bad karma in a person habitually doing a great deal of karma is only felt mildly.

This natural law of karma thus becomes the force behind, and the reason for, the Buddhist practice of morality and compassion in our society.

Amitabha Buddha

The figure of Amitabha Buddha, the Buddha of Infinite Compassion and Wisdom, appearing before human eyes, represents Truth in the universe, which is absolute and inexpressible in verbal concepts.

When standing, Amitabha is often shown with his left arm bare and extended downward with thumb and forefinger touching, with his right hand facing outward also with thumb and forefinger touching. The meaning of this mudra is that wisdom (symbolized by the raised hand) is accessible to even the lowest beings, while the outstretched hand shows that Amitabha’s compassion is directed at the lowest beings, who cannot save themselves.

The standing image of Amitabha Buddha is usually depicted standing with eyes half closed to show the perfect harmony between the outer and inner life. Half of the vision is directed internally for proper self-relfection and the other half is directed externally to show concern for the world.

The rays of light behind Amitabha Buddha symbolises the light that illuminates the dark world of greed, hatred and ignorance. The Great Forty-Eight Vows of Amitabha Buddha to lead every living being away from Samsara (suffering world).

It is hoped that through the merit of this holy image, Amitabha Buddha will give all sentient beings wisdom, and lead all sentient beings to enlightenment.

Source: Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition Newsletter June 2010

Dealing with Criticism

Bad reputation is very powerful to use for your practice, and it should be used that way. As a Kadampa geshe once said, “If someone criticizes you, this destroys your mistakes; it blows away immediately one’s own mistakes. If you are praised, it causes pride/the ego to inflate and causes great pride.” …

Transforming bad conditions into happiness by looking at them as positive, favorable conditions is the way to make problems, bad conditions, beneficial, by using them as the path to enlightenment. How? Meditating on loving kindness and bodhichitta destroys the ego. We use them as a weapon to destroy the self-cherishing thought, which brings all obstacles. So, meditate on bodhichitta and wisdom.

In your case, use all the criticism and bad reputation, whether it is a result of your mistake or not, to destroy your ego and self-cherishing thought, which blocks one from achieving enlightenment. As long as self-cherishing abides in one’s heart, it stops one achieving enlightenment and benefiting all sentient beings. You can think of the kindness of the other person that helps you to destroy your ego. Usually, you are always supporting your ego, even developing it. Now, this person (the enemy) is helping to destroy your self-cherishing thought, so what is regarded as your enemy is really your most kind friend!

What we do is use undesirable situations, loss, etc., as experiences to be of most benefit to all sentient beings. This is not just making one’s own life emotionally happy, for some temporary peace.

There are other thought transformation teachings – so many ways you can make your life experience most beneficial for yourself and others. The essence is – if you are happy, make it beneficial for sentient beings; if you are suffering, use it as the cause to bring happiness to others. This way, whatever kind of life experience you have, use it on the path. There is no interruption to Dharma practice, and one’s life is most beneficial.

Go Tsampa said, “Others’ mistakes are one’s own mistakes. Clarify the appearance of the mistake into the deity.” This means, however one is treated is the result of one’s own negative karma. Even if others create a bad reputation for you, and there is no apparent cause from your side to experience the result, still, you have to have created the cause. You can see what this yogi is saying. The second part of this technique is looking at that person as the guru, even visualizing that person in the form of a deity. This stops anger and negative emotional thoughts arising and the suffering results of those.

Karog Geshe said, “Experiencing this small suffering now finishes past negative karma, and there will be happiness in future lives. Because it finishes past negative karma, be happy for the suffering.”

Excerpted from “Criticism” in Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Online Advice Book freely distributed by Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Quotation 108

From Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s Divine Discourses?

Embodiments of Divine Love! Do not give room for the doubts which arise on account of the food you consume, the company you keep or the environment in which you live. Meet the doubts with courage and faith.

Don’t pray to Baba for changing your mind. It is your duty to change your mind. If you expect Baba to do everything, what is it you are doing? God has no use for such indolent persons. You must do your sadhana and go ahead. God’s help will come when you do your part. Do your duty and leave the results to God. Praying to God to do this or that is a sign of weakness.

If you have full faith in God, your mind is bound to change. Baba’s role is not to change your minds, but to redeem you from the consequences of your actions. Everyone should realise and act up to this truth. To start with, get rid of the blemishes in you, strengthen your devotion and make it firm and unshakeable. That is Purusha prayathna (the effort which everyone should make). Then you will earn Daivaanugraha (God’s grace).

Entering on this path of truth, traversing the road of Jnaana (spiritual wisdom), merge yourself in the Divine.

– Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Quotation 36

From Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s Divine Discourses

Develop faith in God. All names are His–Rama, Krishna, Christ or any other name. Every man is the embodiment of the Divine. True human relations can grow only when this truth is recognised. The first stage is where you recognise “I am in the Light.” Next when you realise, “The Light is in me,” and finally you realise, “I am the Light.” “I” represents love and light represents Jnana (Supreme Wisdom). When love and light become one, there is Realisation. The Bhakti Marga (path of devotion) is easier than Jnana Marga (the path of knowledge). The Gita has extolled the Bhakti Marga. Love should come from within, not enforced from outside. You should develop disinterested and spontaneous love. The attitude of petitioning to God for favours should be given up. Love of God should not be based on quid pro quo, seeking favours in exchange for prayers and offerings to God. The object of celebrating holy festivals is to devote the day to meditation on God.

From today give up swaartha (selfishness), turn your mind towards the Parartha (Supreme), lead a life of Yadaartha (Truth) and sanctify your lives. Place your faith in God and do your duty to the best of your ability. Saturate yourself with love and share it with all. If you earn the love of God even to the slightest extent, you will experience infinite joy.

– Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Source: Sathya Sai Speaks

Equanimity of Mind

Satsang

It is only when you can demonstrate an ideal life, can you say that you have justified having been born as a human being. On the other hand, if you become a slave to your senses, you become a slave to the whole world around you. Even if you live a short life, lead a good and ideal life. A long life with contaminated and impure thoughts is no good. It is very necessary that you recognize that real education means development of character.

You should make an attempt to experience and enjoy the bliss that is contained in what you have learnt. Our wealth is knowledge. Our prosperity lies in the good qualities that are in us. Our riches are our dharma. An individual who has got faith in God must put his faith into practice. By believing in God and yet by ignoring God’s utterances and commands, you are contradicting yourselves. Faith is not a cloak that is worn outside for decieving others. Such people are deceiving themselves.

These essence of education is to recognize the truth. All branches of learning are like the rivers. The spiritual learning is like the ocean. All rivers go and merge into the ocean. When they merge in the ocean, the rivers lose their individuality completely. Under no circumstances should we give room to excitement, to ego and to anger.

There is one little example for this. In one village, there was a village head who did not like Buddha. The moment he heard any words uttered by Buddha, he used to get angry. He was always suffering from uncontrolled anger. One day, he learnt the news that Buddha was coming to that village with his disciples. Since he was the head of the village, he issued a certain order. The order was that when Buddha came asking for alms, no one should give him alms and all should close their doors. Following this order, all the people in the village closed the doors of their respective houses when Buddha came. The head of the village also closed the doors and was sitting in the verandah outside the door.

Buddha was all-knowing and he knew what was happening. With his disciples he came to the very house in which the village head was living. Great people will never be affected either by praise or blame. Such people, having developed equal mindedness, will go right in front of those who are suffering from jealousy and ego. This village head, was suffering from such ignorance and pride and Buddha went straight to him and asked for alms. The village head, who was waiting for such an opportunity, became even more excited. A person who is sick will always want to take several medicines. Certain birds will always be wanting to look at cool moonshine. Good people will always want to help the bad people and to see that the badness in them is removed and they are cleansed. It is only one who has a disease and is sick, that wants a doctor. A healthy man does not want a doctor. Similarly, people who are suffering from the disease of disbelief can be cured by good people.

With such noble ideas, Buddha, along with his disciples, went to the house of the village headman and said, “Bhavati, bhikshan dehi,” I have come to ask for alms. When he saw Buddha and the disciples accompanying him, the headman became very angry. He addressed Buddha and said, “You lazy man, you have collected all these people in your company, and they become lazy. You are taking them round because they do not want to work. Not only you are ruining your own life, you are also ruining the lives of your disciples. This is wrong.” In that manner, he abused Buddha and the disciples who came with him.

Buddha smiled at all this and smiling, asked the head of the village, if he could clarify a doubt for him. The headman said in a very loud voice. “What is your doubt? Let me know.” Buddha said, “I have come to ask for alms from you. You have brought something in order to give it to me. If I do not accept what you wish to give to me, where will it go?” The village headman laughingly replied, “What a big question have you asked! If you do not wish to take what I have for you, I will take it back myself”. Buddha said that he was very happy. “I have come here along with my disciples for taking alms from you. You have brought abuse and you want to give it to me as alms. But I have not accepted the bhiksha you brought for me in the form of abuse. To whom will it go back?” With this, the ego of that village headman subsided. In this manner, great people and great saints go to several persons and with a view to enlighten them, adopt different methods.

When the Buddha sat under the Bodhi Tree in Bodhgaya, after the illumination that revealed to him the Four Noble Truths, gangs of disbelievers gathered around him and poured ridicule and abuse on him. His disciples were enraged; they prayed to the Buddha, “Lord, give us leave; we shall beat this insolence and ignorance out of these traducers”. But, Buddha only smiled at their anger. He said, “Dear Ones, know you not how much joy they derive from this exercise? You derive joy worshiping me. They derive joy pelting me with abuse. You pour reverence; they pour ridicule, and receive equal satisfaction. Control yourselves; do not hate any one, that is the teaching. This is the ancient ordinance”.

Some people cannot tolerate glory in others; some are filled with the venom of envy; some are demonic in nature and cannot tolerate holiness and divinity; some are perverted by disappointment and cast the blame on God; such people will indulge in abuse. If you associate with such people and their followers, you will only be contaminating your minds. Even ordinary men will feel ashamed to cast aspersions on the great, but, these expose themselves by their tactics as lower than the lowest.

You might say, we are the ordinary kind; when the Form we adore is traduced how can we bear it silently? Suppose some one sends you a letter by registered post. When you sign and take it, you become aware of its contents, though you may not accept the contents. If you do not sign, the letter goes back to the person who sent it and his purpose in making you aware of the contents is defeated. So too, don’t give ear to the abuse; keep cool and uninterested; then, the foulness goes back to the sender, and cannot affect you at all. It will affect him as a resound, re-action. Instead of harming you, it will only recoil on him.

- Sathya Sai Speaks

Third, living in solitary places, the source of all good qualities.

When unfavourable places are abandoned, disturbing emotions gradually fade;

When there are no distractions, postive activities naturally increase;

As awareness becomes clearer, confidence in Dharma grows -

To rely on solitude is the practice of a bodhisattva.

When you live in a solitary place, your negative emotions gradually diminish, and your self-control and moderation increase. Gyalse Thogme himself said:

In a solitary place,

There are no enemies to defeat,

No relatives to protect,

No superiors to look up to,

No servants to be looked after.

So, apart from taming your mind,

What else will you have to do there, Mani-reciters?

Undisturbed by friends and relatives, undistracted by the need to earn a living through business or cultivating the land, you will be able to concentrate one-pointedly on deep spiritual practice and thus make spiritual progress with you body, speech, and mind. Your mind will become self-controlled, serene, clear, and filled with certainty about the truth of the teachings. This is why all the sages of the past lived in the wilderness, in solitary, mountainous places conducive to spiritual practice. As Shantideva said:

And so, revolted by our lust and wanting,

Let us now rejoice in solitude,

In places where all strife and conflict cease,

The peace and stillness of the greenwood.

And it is also said:

Unattached to gain, be like th wind, like a bird,

Dwelling in the wilderness, be like a shy animal.

Acting rightly, you will remain unperturbed.

If you wish to concentrate entirely on the Dharma instead of being constantly tossed hither and tither by waves of attachment and aversion, give them up and go to a solitary place. Turn you mind inward, identify your defects, rid yourself of them, and develop all your inherent good qualities. Be content with just enough food for sustenance, just enough clothing to protect yourself, and your practice will progress from day to day, month to month, and year to year.

Once you are free from all distracting conditions, your practice will bring you progress along the path. That is why all the yogins of the past wandered like beggars from one solitary place to another. Even a single month in a quiet and lonely place will be enough for you animosity to be replaced by a wish to benefit others, and your attachment to friends by a strong feeling of impermanence and impending death.

As Lord Atisha said: “Until you have attained stability, distractions harm your practice. Dwell in forest and mountain solitudes. Free of upsetting activitiesm you will be able to devote yourself entirely to practicing the Dharma, and you will have no regrets at the time of death.”

And Drom Tönpa said: “This decadent age is not a time for ordinary beings to help others externally, but rather a time to live in solitary places and train their own minds in the love and compassion of bodhicitta.”

Such is the strength of delusion and habitual tendencies that practicing Dharma might initially seem very hard; but these difficulties will gradually subside. Once you have understood the essential point of the teachings, you will experience no hardship or difficulty in the practice. Your efforts will bring you joy. It is like developing any skill – as you master the important points, it becomes progressively easier, you gain increasing confidence and your capacity and endeavour keep on growing.

Whatever meditation or reflection you have done, it will never be wasted. The benefit it brings will be present in your mindstream at the time of your death, and will help you be born in a place where the Dharma flourishes, near an authentic spiritual teacher. Life after life, you will evolve from a mediocre into an average practitioner, and from an average practitioner into an excellent one. The essence of learning is reflection, and the essence of reflection is meditation. As you go deeper and deeper into the meaning of the teachings, the wondrous qualities of the Dharma will become even clearer, like the sun appearing ever brighter the higher you fly.

The sign that you have fully assimilated your learning of the Dharma is that you become peaceful by nature. The sign that you have assimilated your meditation is that you are free of obscuring emotions. As learning leads to reflection and reflection forms into meditation, your eagerness for the deluded activities of this life will relax, and you will year for the Dharma instead.

Anything you do that is in accord with the Dharma, however small or trivial it might seem, will be beneficial. As the Sutra of the Wise and the Foolish says:

Do not take lightly small good deeds,

Believing that they can hardly help;

For drops of water one by one

In time can fill a giant pot.

Similarly, even if you practice only for an hour a day with faith and inspiration, good qualities will steadily increase. Regular practice makes it easy to transform your mind. From seeing only relative truth, you will eventually reach a profound certainty in the meaning of absolute truth.

The main hindrance to growth of such qualities is distraction. Distraction can occur in every single moment. If you let time flow pointlessly by, at the time of death you will regret that you have not practiced the Dharma. But by then it will be too late, and your regret will not help at all. now is the time to go to a secluded place and put the instructions you have received from your teacher into practice. Each instant of your life will then become precious and meaningful, leading you farther away from samsara and closer to liberation

As Lama Zopa Rinpoche says, the Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha is immensely powerful, especially as a bestower and granter of wishes!

An introduction of His Most Excellent Sutra (The Sutra of the Great Vows of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva) is as below.

We shall be posting the transcribed soft copies of the sutra here on Buddhasai in the weeks to come for the benefit of all the beings of all the worlds. Stay tuned!

Source: Wikipedia – Sutra of the Great Vows of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva

The S?tra of The Great Vows of K?itigarbha Bodhisattva (Chinese: ???????, Dizang P’usa Benyuan Jing) is one of the more popular Buddhist sutras in Chinese Mah?y?na Buddhism. The sutra tells basically of how K?itigarbha became a bodhisattva by making great vows to rescue other sentient beings, and a description of how he followed filial piety in his past lifetimes. There are a total of thirteen chapters, which are divided into three sections.

It was first translated from the Sanskrit into Chinese in the 7th century A.D. Tang Dynasty by the Tripi?aka master ?ik??nanda, a Buddhist monk from Khotan who also provided a newer translation of the Avatamsaka Sutra.

Presented in the form of a seemingly mythic dialogue between the Buddha and K?itigarbha, the teaching takes place in a certain heaven called Tr?yastri??a Heaven, located on the top of the Sumeru mountain, in front of a vast multitude of Buddhas, bodhisattvas, gods andghosts. Immediately prior to his departure from this world, the Buddha manifested in the Tr?yastri??a heavens so that he might repay the kindness of his mother, M?y?, who dwelt there, by speaking the Dharma on her behalf.

After the death of Sakyamuni Buddha, there would be no Buddha on Earth until the appearance of the Bodhisattva Maitreya over a few billion years later, who is to become the next Buddha. During this transition period, in the era between the death of Sakyamuni Buddha and the rise of Maitreya Buddha, Sakyamuni Buddha assigned and delegated to Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha to act on His behalf, in order to save the sentient beings.

This sutra is fundamentally a teaching concerning karmic retribution, graphically describing the consequences one creates for oneself by committing undesirable actions. This sutra also deals with filial piety – not only that between oneself and one’s parents, but also in an ultimate sense of a universal code of duty or responsibility for all living beings.

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The following dedication prayer has been recited before Swami’s Divine presence after every Tibetan Buddhist Chant event held in Prashanti Nilayam. By dedicating the merits accrued during the Tibetan Buddhist Chant to all sentient beings, we are able to send love, light and peace to every sentient beings in all the worlds.

Through the Virtue of these Prayers,

May our Guru of Gurus, Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba,

Bestow upon Himself and all Holy Gurus,

Long and healthy lives.

May all beings everywhere,

Plagued by sufferings of body and mind,

Obtain an ocean of happiness and joy

By virtue of our merits.

May no living creature suffer,

Commit evil or ever fall ill.

May no one be afraid of being belittled,

Or be afflicted with mental depression.

May the blind see forms,

And the deaf hear sounds.

May those whose bodies are worn with toil,

Be restored in finding repose.

May the unclothed find clothing,

And the hungry find food.

May the thirsty find water,

And soothing drinks.

May the poor find wealth,

And those weak with sorrow, find joy.

May the forlorn find hope,

Eternal happiness and prosperity.

May all medicines be effective,

And wholesome prayers, bear fruit.

May all who are sick and ill,

Be readily freed from their ailments.

For as long as space endures,

And for as long as living beings remain,

Until then, may I too abide

To dispel the misery of the world.

The key to peace lies in non violence and tolerance, which is a 7000 year old tradition in India.

We can have peace only if we are able to bring about an attitude of respect for religions, faiths and belief systems other than our own. There is an interesting fact to be noted about the great world religions. At the level of philosophy there are differences among them. But at the level of practice there is no difference.

Broadly speaking, at the level of philosophy, world religions may be divided into two main groups – those that believe in a Creator and those that do not. The theists believe that a Creator has manifested the universe. They believe in God. These are the theistic traditions. On the other side, there are atheistic traditions that do not postulate a Creator. Buddhism is one such religion. Even the Sankhya philosophy of the Hindus had both atheistic and an atheistic tradition.

When Buddhism tries to answer the question as to why there is a universe, it postulates this as something that happens in Nature. Why is consciousness cognitive? It is its nature. Why does everything follow the Law of Causation? It is Nature.

Buddhist have no God. Sakyamuni is considered to have been a human being like any one of us. Over many births, through intense practice, he had become a Bodhisattva and then achieved enlightenment as the Buddha. Any one of us can do the same and train ourselves to become the Buddha.

So if we try to bring about a harmony among different faiths on the basis of their philosophy, we would not succeed, as there are wide divergence among them. But when we study the ethics or the practice advocated by the various faiths, there is not much difference. They all believe in certain core human values like truth, non – violence, compassion, love and peace.

One of the important values is Truth. Truth lies in seeing reality as it is. Reality can be seen as it actually is, only if one harbours positive emotions and not negative emotions.

It would not be correct to say that we should have no emotions. A person without emotions is a person without feeling. He is apt to be dry, distant, cold, friendless, negative and vicious. The important thing is not to harbour negative emotions.

Negative emotions are emotions that are immature, narrow and cloudy. For example, attachment and hatred are two such negative emotions.If you see a person through the prism of attachment, you would conclude that whatever he does is 100% right. If you look at someone through the prism of hate, whatever he does would be 100% wrong. Nothing in nature is 100% right or wrong. Such a perception is merely a mental projection. It distorts our perception of reality and creates more problems.

Positive emotions are mature emotions. Here emotion is combined with intelligence. The application of intelligence leads to analysis and investigation. Analysis leads to conviction. Such training of emotion leads to a holistic vision of reality. Reality is interdependent. Everything is interconnected. If one fails to see the interconnectedness and interdependence, then it is a distorted vision. Example of positive emotions is faith and compassion, which can be imbibed only through a training of emotions.

Knowledge leads to conviction. Convicti

on leads to determination. Determination leads to familiarization. Familiarization leads to change of emotion. The main attempt is to clear the vision, so that we can see reality as it is. Only then can we solve the problems of life.

Cultivation of positive and noble emotions leads one towards compassion, contentment, forgiveness and self – discipline. This leads to calmness of mind. When there are no ripples in the mind, it remains clear its vision of reality. It seems problem as it really is and is able to solve it easily. Problems are thus unable to disturb your peace of mind.

But if the inner being is weak, if it is assailed by fear and doubt or too much of unbridled emotion, it would find it difficult to face the arduous problems of life.

Life is bound to be full of problems. Even if there are no other problems, one’s own body suffers from the problems of illness, decay and death. If problems are an integral part of our existence, we have to be fully prepared to face these with calmness, placidity and fortitude.

In this process of nurturing your inner self, it helps if you continue to remain in the spiritual and religious tradition in which you have been born. I am happy to see that Sathya Sai Baba has said that his mission is not to convert people to other traditions. He would like a Buddhist to be a better Buddhist, a Muslim to be a better Muslim and a Hindu to be a better Hindu.

One should be serious and sincere towards one’s own faith. This generates a calm atmosphere both in the individual and the society. Our inner experiences reach a dipper dimension.

Quite often, I get the feeling that I am reciting verses that were taught to me by my mother and teacher in my childhood. On certain days, it seems to me that I am reciting the verses by rote and not with my full heart and soul in it. The recitation then becomes something of a burden. But later I realize that such daily practice, although it appears to be monotonous and repetitive, it silently and effortlessly builds my inner resources and strength and help me to become a true follower of the Buddha.

In this audience there is a plurality of faiths. This reality has to be accepted. India has always believed in ahimsa in terms of acceptance of other faiths. Gandhiji is a great example of inter – religious harmony. He was a staunch Hindu, but he had a deep respect for other faiths.

Buddha was also a true Indian in this sense. He studied the faiths prevalent in India in his time and practiced a number of Hindu paths. After his enlightenment, he taught the four noble truths. Buddha’s philosophy of interdependence is his unique contribution to world philosophy. The concept of interdependence is equally true in the fields of economy, politics, defence and so on. This gives a wider, holistic picture of any problem and brings us closer to reality.

Buddha believed in the human value of truth. He exhorted his followers to follow the truth. When he enunciated the four noble truths, he also analyzed the cause of suffering. His conclusion was that all suffering was due to ignorance. He accepted the practice of samadhi. He also innovated the vipassana system, which can be a very effective method for deducing attachment. He had great respect for the other traditions.

This ideal of religious tolerance is still alive in India at the village level. There the followers of different faiths have lived together in peace and harmony for the last several centuries. Multi-culturalism and religious tolerance is practiced in their daily lives.

It is only in recent times that some politicians have created problems due to their low level of awareness. They have too much attachment, which leads to narrowness of vision and a kind of shortsightedness. It is important that these few people are not allowed to destroy the rich 7000 – year- old tradition of tolerance and harmony. We can all live together and work together at individual and community levels.