Buddhism does not place undue emphasis on asceticism, because demanding a plain and simple life for oneself is moral, but to demand it of others is too harsh. - Hsing Yun
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Prema Pandurang of Chennai is perhaps an unlikely candidate to have spontaneously taken a 41-day vow to remain mute. Prema is a famous religious lecturer in South India. She was a professor of English at Chennai's Presidency College for twenty-three years. She told Hinduism Today's publisher how silence came to her.
"For a long time, I had been a speaker. One day I woke up and said, 'Now. Let me see how it sounds--how it feels--if I don't speak.' It was not that anything in the world disgusted me. It was more the thought that there was so much sound around me, and I was creating most of it. I said, 'Let me be in silence and watch.' " Prema found the silence profound, and wrote down her inspirations in a small book, Reflection on Silence. She now continues her silence every Tuesday. (source: www.hinduismtoday.com) Meditation on Buddhist right action -
Some decide to settle scores; Others decide to right wrongs. - Victor M. Parachin Slovakia inaugurated Zuzana Caputova on June 15, the nation’s first female president—and a Zen meditator. The New York Times reports that the 45-year-old lawyer and political newcomer encountered books on Zen meditation as a teenager, and has been sitting regularly for the past 13 years.
“I try to meditate every day,” she told the Times. “I’m not sure how we’re going to manage that now. But the regular practice is important for me.” Caputova ran on a progressive platform that supported gay and minority rights, issues that remain controversial in socially conservative Slovakia. Yet she was able to communicate her support for liberal policies in a way that did not alienate her right-leaning constituents. “When I talked about these things, for me, this attitude is based on a value that I believe to be very conservative and Christian—empathy and respect for other people,” she said. Caputova has never held state office, and her victory is seen as a rebuke of the nationalism sweeping across Europe. All that we are looking for in life —all the happiness, contentment, and peace of mind— is right here in the present moment. Our very own awareness is fundamentally pure and good.
The only problem is that we get so caught up in the ups and downs of life that we don’t take the time to pause and notice what we already have. —Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche Five years ago the United Nations established June 21st as International Day of Yoga. People worldwide celebrate and honor yoga by practicing and sitting in meditation. Here in Tulsa, Oklahoma we've offered a Friday evening and all day Saturday yoga meditation retreat for this celebration. Below are some photos from last night.   
Over time, it is possible for a person to reach a stage where negative thoughts and emotions no longer emerge, or do so very seldom. It takes years of practice, of course, but the rewards are plentiful. - Dalai Lama 14th
Gathas are Buddhist wisdom statements generally made up of four lines. The word gatha is related to the Sanskrit word for song, verse or poem. They are used not only in Buddhism but also in the Jain and Zoroastrian traditions. Vietnamese Buddhist monk, Thich Nhat Hanh, has revitalized and popularized gathas in modern form.
Gathas can be read for their insight as well as recited silently as a meditaton practice. Here is one example from Ven. Nhat Hanh titled "Looking At Your Empty Bowl" - My bowl, empty now, will soon be filled with precious food. Beings all over the Earth are struggling to live. How fortunate we are to have enough to eat. Another example of a modern Buddhist gatha comes from Zen Master Robert Aitken: When I hear a mockingbird’s song by my window I promise to him and to me to put aside worries of future and sing for joy to the day. Gathas are intended to focus the mind and bring attention to the beauty and wonder of ordinary, day-to-day experiences and activities. There have been people put on this earth to push your
buttons, tick you off, and suck the life out of you. You know who they are. - Marsha Petrie Sue Elevate your experience and remain wide open like the sky.
Expand your mindfulness and remain pervasive like the earth. Steady your attention and remain unshakable like a mountain. Brighten your awareness and remain shining like a flame. Clear your thought-free wakefulness and remain lucid like a crystal. —Dakpo Tashi Namgyal |
Victor M. Parachin ... aVedic educator, yoga instructor, Buddhist meditation teacher and author of a dozen books. Buy his books at amazon or your local bookstore. Sadly, Victor passed away in August 2025, but his blog continues. Janet Parachin, his partner of 45 years, shares quotes from his books and articles each week. Archives
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