HBV Newsletter – March 2021
MESSAGE FROM VEN. RAHULA DHAMMA ARTICLES / NEWS / ANNOUNCEMENTS
Vol. 19 No.03 3/30/2021
Carrying the Burden
(Ven. Nanda Thero had sent me an interesting story in Sinhala, and what is given below is its English translation.)
Holding in hand a glass full of water and making it visible to the audience, a professor began his lecture. He first asked,” What do you think the weight of this water is?”
The students gave different answers: “Maybe, 50 grams”, “100 grams”, “125 grams.”
The professor responded, saying, “I don’t know either the exact weight, but what do you think will happen if I continue to hold the glass like this?
“Nothing will happen” the students answered.
“What if I continue to hold the glass for about an hour?” professor asked.
“Nothing other than hurting your hand,” the students responded.
“You are right; What if I continue to hold the glass for about a day?” professor again asked.
One student said, “You will have more pain. You will get sick and may even be hospitalized.”
“Great! Why should that happen? Does the weight of the water get heavier?” professor again questioned, and one student said, “Not at all.”
The professor continued, “Then, why will my pain get worse, and I may even be hospitalized?”
After a brief silence, one student responded, “That is because you continue to hold the glass. You have to put it down.”
“That’s right,” the professor said assertively. “Unpleasant experiences and problems in life are also similar. We can withstand keeping them in head for a few minutes. However, when we continue to keep them for about an hour, pain gets worse. The longer we keep them, the worse it becomes. It can cause life-time mental issues, as well as physical problems. You will be stressed, cannot sleep, and always feel miserable. Before going to bed every day, we have to leave them aside—just like placing down the glass of water and releasing the hand!”
Vihara News
April 11th: Next Day of Children’s Dhamma Classes
Over 70 students now study in children’s virtual Dhamma classes. While Ven. Rahula Thero teaches in two classes for middle school and high school students, Sonali, Kumari, and Krishani teach in three other classes. Suren teaches music from 11:30 am.
The next day of classes is Sunday, April 11th. Puja begins at 9:00 am followed by chanting, meditation, and Dhamma advice. Classes begin thereafter.
