If We Finally Open Our Eyes

“It's odd that you can get so anesthetized by your own pain or your own problem that you don't quite fully share the hell of someone close to you.” ~ Lady Bird Johnson


According to “The Life of Buddha and His Greatness”, written by Narada Mahathera –

“One glorious day, as he went out of the palace to see the world outside, he came into direct contact with the stark realities of life. Within the narrow confines of the palaces, he saw only the rosy side of life; but the dark side, the common lot of mankind was veiled from him. His observant eyes met the strange sight of a decrepit old man, a diseased person, a corpse, and a dignified hermit. The first three sights convinced him of the inexorable nature of life and the universal sickness of humanity. The fourth signified the means to overcome the ills of life and attain calm and peace. Realizing the worthlessness of sensual pleasures highly prized by ordinary men, and the value of renunciation in which the wise seek delight, he decided to leave the world in search of Truth and Peace. With the march of time truth gradually dawned upon him. His contemplative nature and boundless compassion did not permit him to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of a royal household. He knew no woe, but he felt deep pity for sorrowing humanity. Amidst comfort and prosperity, he realized the universality of sorrow.”

Before venturing outside of his palace, Prince Siddhattha Gootama – later known as Buddha (the enlightened one) – lived a golden life, entirely unaware of the woes that affected humanity. In his world inside the palace walls, everything was perfect, and everything was done for him. Although I couldn’t find any literature indicating that he was ever dissatisfied with anything in particular, it is safe to assume that even the Buddha had his moments.

Something trivial might appear extremely important and devastating to us, until we are faced with greater challenges. Similarly, we become so absorbed into anything that happens within the confines of our own world, that we are often blind and deaf to the situations others are living. If everything is stable in our “bubble”, we find it hard to grasp that others on the outside may be living a much worse reality. We might be thinking that destiny is playing ugly tricks because our car broke down, or because we are experiencing minor health problems, or feel depressed because we can’t land the job of our dreams, but if we could truly see how many people lose more than a car or a job, or just how many live with chronic pain or a terminal illness, our problems would suddenly appear petty, even to us.

Sometimes stepping away from our personal dramas is key to “seeing” and learning how to be truly compassionate. And suddenly we will realize that our insurmountable blocks are nothing more than stepping stones on our path.


Information about the life of the Buddha can be found at: http://www.urbandharma.org/udharma2/budgreat.html

An Act of Random Kindness

"You and I can never do a kindness too soon, for we never know how soon it will be too late." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson


It’s amazing how much one can observe and learn even from a run at the grocery store. As I waited to pay for my purchases, yesterday, I noticed that the first person in line was rummaging furiously through the contents in her purse. Stress was evident on her face, and I wondered if she had just realized she had forgotten her wallet.

She looked up at the cashier and seemed ready to cry. She turned toward the two plastic bags containing the few items she had picked up and began to take out some things, mentally adding up what she had to leave behind. When I saw what she had pulled out, my heart sank – a package of store brand ham, cereal, ground beef and a bottle of juice. She held on to two loaves of bread, milk and diapers. She hadn’t forgotten her wallet – she simply didn’t have enough money even for basic necessities and was looking for a miracle at the bottom of her purse.

I immediately dunk my hand into my own to grab my debit card, but the man in front of me beat me to it. He gave the cashier enough money for the entire bill and seemed almost embarrassed that his act of kindness had been a public one.

The woman was stunned at his generosity. She looked up at the man with tear-filled eyes and thanked him. What happened next, however, was the highlight of it all.

He nodded, and told the lady that his best friend had recently taken his own life because no one had realized in time he needed help. His eyes moistened and his voice broke for a moment as he told her to not lose faith because things will eventually turn around. She instinctually hugged him, and a single tear escaped her eyelids. After that, she left. He paid for his deli sandwich and soda, and exited the store quietly.

I watched them both go, and thought about how many times I have probably passed by someone who is silently suffering and didn’t know it. All the anonymous faces inside the store – each with a story of their own, and some bearing crosses.

I thought about the times I could have smiled at a stranger, or helped someone with a small act of kindness, rather than just cross paths with them and look ahead. Any of them could have been the man whose heart was broken, or the lady who didn’t have enough money to buy juice for her children; maybe, they could have been someone whose spouse had recently passed away, or even someone who had lost all hope of ever overcoming hardship.

Truth is, we don’t know the person behind the façade, and we don’t know of their situations and their struggles. Because of that, we should always strive toward being kind to one another. Maybe then, so many would not feel completely lost and alone.