April 3, 2024

Notes by Sita Somnath Buono

RECAP

There was a cab driver at the end of his shift and he picked up an old lady. He took time to help her carry her luggage. When he asked her where he should take her, she said to take her the long way to hospice, as she was going to be leaving her body. He drove her around for hours and didn’t charge her. When he dropped her off, he was grateful that he was her driver…what if it had been someone rude and impatient who didn’t carry her bags to talk to her for hours?  We talked about the how we are stronger when we are kind, patient, and sacrifice for others. People don’t want to be around unpleasant people. We naturally go towards nice people. The old raw was any time we were sad or overwhelmed, we should take breaths. When your emotions are out of control, you lose control. 

STORY:

There was a girl on summer break. Her grandma called her for a breakfast of puris. She couldn’t wait and ran to grab one. It was hot and it burst, and hot air gushed out, burning her hand. She ran it under water and her grandmother told her not to worry and that it would be gone the next day.

She spent the rest of the day sad. That night at prayertime, she said “Thanks God, but I’m still sad and mad that my hand hurts.”

The next day, her hand still hurt and it was read. She went to temple with her grandmother, which she loved doing. Her grandmother gave money to a beggar outside who had many fingers missing. The girl was confused and asked her grandmother what was wrong with him, he must be in pain. Her grandmother told her that a bug had attacked his nerves and so he didn’t feel any pain. Maya (the girl) realized that if she hadn’t felt pain that morning, she would have held on longer to the hot puri and hurt herself further.

That night, the grandmother heard Maya say her prayers “Please help the man. And thanks for my pain.”

MESSAGE:

Pain points out problems. It tells your body to stop something. If you fall, you don’t try to fall again on purpose. You pay more attention. The world is designed to help us get better. You don’t always get what you like.

RAW:

Eat everything you are given for dinner whether you like it or not.

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Notes By Om Shreejay

Review: 

Last week we heard the story of a cab driver and an elderly woman who was passing to this body to the next. When the cab driver went to go pick up his last guest, he took the time to wait for the guest, knocked on her door, and helped her to the car, expressing kindness and patience. When she expressed that this would be her last journey, he turned off his meter and took the long way to the destination, driving around for hours, chatting, and stopping at the places she wanted to. Their shared time together was one of the most meaningful experiences in both of their lives. 

This story showed us several virtues – the driver’s patience, generosity, and sacrifice (no charge), kindness, compassion, and the elderly woman’s sincerity and straightforwardness. We reflected that we are stronger, happier, and confident when we are honest, kind, peaceful, generous, patient, loving, and virtuous. We also enjoy being around people who are virtuous. These virtues must be natural, and we should embrace that which is natural. We should value and develop virtues. Every experience in our life is an opportunity to learn and grow. Every experience can teach us if we are curious and pay attention. 

Our RAW was to take 5 breaths when we feel overwhelmed/angry/sad/worried. When we experience intense emotions, deep breathing calms us. Intense emotions can make it harder for us to think clearly and make good decisions. When you take deep breaths, it creates a space and helps settle and still your mind, which allows you to think and be yourself again. 

Story:

A girl Maya was on summer break and went to visit her grandmother. As she woke up in the morning, her grandma called her down for breakfast. As Maya rushed down, she smelled something delicious and saw huge poories that her grandma made. As she grabbed a poori, she accidentally burned her hand and dropped it. Maya cried as she washed her hands and reflected on her vacation getting off to a bad start. Maya was sad as she wanted to spend time gardening with her grandmother and would not be able to do this with her hurt hand. As Maya went to sleep that night, she said a prayer and thanked Bhagavan for being able to spend time with her grandmother, for wonderful food, but was angry with her situation and asked Bhagavan why she had to go through so much pain with her hand on the first day of her vacation.  

When Maya woke up the next morning, she realized that her hand was red but didn’t hurt as much.  Her grandma took her to the temple where they saw a beggar. As Maya’s grandma gave him some money, Maya noticed that the beggar was missing several fingers, and his leg had many bandages. Maya felt sad for him and asked his grandma what was wrong with him. Her grandma explained that he was sick with a disease caused by a tiny bug. If he had gone earlier to the hospital he would not have lost his fingers. Maya wondered how much pain and suffering he must be going through. Her grandma shared that the man could not feel pain because of his sickness, so even if he got cut, he would never know as he did not feel pain to tell him that he was injured. Her grandma then asked Maya how much damage she would have suffered if she had this condition and if she had held on to the poori that burned her hand the day before. When we get sick and our body hurts, our body gives us a signal that something is not right and that you need to pay attention. 

That night, as Maya prayed she asked Bhagavan to cure the beggar of his disease and give him his ability to feel pain. She apologized for being angry with Bhagavan earlier and thanked Bhagavan for the pain she felt when she burned her hand. 

Lesson from Story: 

Pain points out problems – it helps us become more aware of our surroundings, bodies, ourselves. When we experience pain, we pay more attention to why we got hurt, and how we don’t want to experience that pain again. Pain demands our attention and drives us to change our condition to help ourselves and learn from it. This is also applicable to mental pain. Our challenges are not reasons for complaining and criticizing, but opportunities for change. The world is designed to make us better. Develop the right attitude – use your challenges as opportunities to be the best versions of ourselves. 

RAW:

Finish your meals without complaining and criticizing.