Now Showing – “The Absurdity”!

Before we start the main topic, I felt like sharing a wonderful teaching from our most Venerable Bhante Wellawatte Seelagawesi Thero.  We normally address him by the name "Master Po".  Do you remember "Master Po" the blind teacher in the famous Kungfu series who guided “Kwai Chang Caine” by calling him “Grasshopper”?  Like him, our Bhante, also make sure to guide us by giving tiny but profound teachings most of the time!  That's the reason we call him "Master Po”!

So, that was one rainy day and the water fall going through the monastery was a bit harsh. So, our Bhante started telling this to us by looking at it.  "Imagine a mother and a kid walking by this water fall... and then the kid fell in to the water... and mother absurdly begin shouting and running by saying "my kid has fallen... my kid is dying... etc." She could only do that because she lost her sense of what should do on such an occasion.  Then what happen?  Kid may die... Mother could be gone through mentally unstable for life... or worst-case scenario, she also could have jump in to the water by forgetting that she is not capable of swimming. And both of them die!  What a disaster!  Why?  Just because mother didn't practice “equanimity – the Uppekha” in her life.  If equanimity is there or if we could behave patiently in any of these occasions, all the possible solutions come so quickly to our mind.  Instead of behaving absurdly, this mother could have shout for help.  And some one will come to save them and both could be saved!  So, always remember to develop equanimity.   Then only, you will be able to succeed in your life no matter what it is you will be able to get a clear and best decision!

So, with this beautiful advice of "Our Master Po" I would like to begin the topic which I actually wanted to address.  Mental instabilities like stress... depression… restlessness… have become so common these days.  No matter what age group, most of them have becomes victim of many types of issues.  So, in such moments how do you face them?  How do you behave?  Angrily... restlessly... sadly... worriedly... how absurdly?

And most of the time result is very harmful to both parties.  Very damaging, isn’t it?  And what are the excuses we give to justify our behaviors?  "I have these problems... I have these issues... I am going through such a phase that's why I'm like this... or else I'm not like this… I am a mess, becoz of this... that's why I can't even go to a temple or church... I have no peace to listen to a dhamma teaching with all these issues..."  We could give thousands and thousands of excuses so proudly to justify our absurd behaviors!

Aren't you feel ashamed?  Because my friends, this isn't showing your smartness... this shows how unskillful you are! 

Who fails to stay calm and happy and pleasantly when everything is so perfect?  When we are super healthy and fit... when others treating us so pleasantly... when job do well for us...  when our studies go well... when we have enough money... when we have food, cloths, place to stay and medicine like everything we need... When everything is so supportive to us... basically, when everything goes so well for us, it's obvious that anyone could maintain the mental stability!  Do you think that's a skill? 

It's easy to drive a vehicle in a lonely road where there is not a single vehicle cross by or any beings are not available.  Do you think you can call you a skillful driver? How capable you are to drive your vehicle with patience, when the road is busy and filled with vehicles, pedestrians... and some animals…?  Basically, when there nothing is peaceful in the road?  If the crowd makes you so restless and angry, shouting, delaying to the destination and sometimes accidents... breaking the rules...  fined... and getting angry again on fines... etc... etc... How on earth, one could identify them as a such a good and skillful driver by driving like this?

This is the same way you do with your vehicle call "your body" right?  So many accidents... so many absurdity... But still believes that, "I am one of the best drivers!"

So, then my dear friends it's time to take proper actions.  No matter what you believe as your religion or belief, you should start behaving like a human being no matter what the situation is.  Because, this is not something religious, this should be a simple basic behaviour of a human life! 

The absurdity is the way of animals, coz they don't have any controls over their emotions.  But, us human have this capability of using our mind to think and understand a situation and act wisely! Human can develop patience.  Human can develop the equanimity.  as a human you are capable of doing so much more than behaving absurdly when things aren't working according to the way you desire!  Think about this too my friends! Because when you behave sensible as a human being, you will see many solutions to the issues which you assume that there is no solution.  You will see many possibilities of reacting to them than reacting absurdly.  You will be able to make many decisions wisely not absurdly!  you won't harm yourself or the other parties!

Be skillful... it's not a wise decision to show how unskillful we are and then proudly saying "my moods are depending on the circumstances”! No matter what the circumstance is we should have a clear & pleasant mind.  So, use it what you already have when you have it! And that's my friend call a human life! 

So, have a blessed time by being a human and get ridding of absurdity!  Identify the possibility of what a human can really do than behaving like an impatient animal!  Good luck friends! Have a blessed time!