Welcoming 2009 -Spiritually :-)

I welcomed 2009 but from home :-)
Every new year am outside home -at least for the past five years -it has been that way
I love loud music and enjoy dancing so that leaves me with no option but to get outside home to have some fun .But this year (wonder if marriage transformed my priorities)i was fast asleep when the whole world welcomed 2009 !!

But then it was nice being home for a change & watte day 1st Jan 2009 was ...
It was totally Spiritual :-)

Best part was amma coming to wake me up on the new year's day ...That did not look like i was married ..As how it happened for so many years ..there my amma was sitting in the hall waiting for me to see her ..Really sweet of her :-)

Morning -Visit to Ayyapan Pooja
Evening -Visit to Anantha padmanabhaswamy Temple
Late evening -My Usual New Year's Buddhist Prayer Meeting

All i did was pray ,pray & pray ..

Prayers for myself ,dear ones and of course WORLD PEACE

Marriage has surely transformed MOI :-P

Living Buddhism

where do i begin to tell you ? If i started to write on this topic -i can go on for pages ..the first time i heard Nam Myoho Renge Kyo when i was 21 years old .It's been a long journey till now ..more than 7 years into living Buddhism ..i can only say i am glad !! Whether it was the group prayer sessions or the social initiative like the earth charter or peace exhibition , every event and activity helped me grow.

I actually did not take Buddhism seriously until i met a lot of young people like me joshed up and full of positivity sharing their experiences being in the Buddhist practice .Some of them not only spoke great things but they actually emitted so much goodness and joy around them.I thought ..why not give it a shot ..as i did not have anything to loose but a lot to learn !! The more i read about Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism -my faith towards Buddhism deepened...Timely guidances from Dr Daisaku Ikeda -Sensei(as we fondly call a Guru)were fascinating to read ...I wondered how someone who is a spiritual leader is able to address issues of a person like me who was just in her 20's !!

He is such a practical person and his writings are dated forever ..am sure it will carry relevance for the future generations too.Believe me ..he had answers for the weirdest possible questions about life , love ,marriage, work ,parents ,friendships and even Sex...He addressed the most common problems people face in day today life
he encouraged every individual through his writings.. he spoke tirelessly about peace & how to practice it ...what makes me look up to him is "He walks the talks"

one of the most valuable lesson i learnt from practising Buddhism is "I AM RESPONSIBLE " for whatever happens to me in my life and no one else is !!
This is indeed a great lesson which helped me realise ..whether it was friendships turning bad ya work going the unsatisfied way ..I was responsible and i can turn around the situation if i act upon it .

My most memorable moments of early Buddhist days would be the study meetings that happened every Wednesdays at my place :-) ..Every Wednesday rain or shine -we , a bunch of young gals gathered at my place to read various Buddhist books on interesting topics like ..Karma, changing your karma, ninth consciousness etc..Am sure i took all the learnings very seriously as i can imagine ..people who i did not like when i met them the first time are my best of friends today...if it was not for Buddhism ..it would not have been possible .Buddhism teaches you to respect human beings as they are , it helps you understand everyone has some goodness ..
Makes you forget the grudge,overlook the hurt & hold on to the goodness of self & others ..sometimes it is very difficult to forget the hurt and move on being normal with people who have wounded us.. as we say "Am human ,not a saint" ..but the struggle lies in trying to achieve that state ...Of all the valuable lessons Buddhism teaches me ..the most invaluable of all which i really hold as a value for my life is


"Buddhism teaches you to be happy & live a joyous life irrespective of the troubles that will surround you from time to time"

And that is what i try to practise through living Buddhism "To be happy & joyful -No MATTER WHAT !!