The One Mind

All the Buddhas and all sentient beings are nothing but the One Mind, beside which nothing exists. This Mind, which is without beginning, is unborn and indestructible. It does not belong to the categories of things which exist or do not exist, nor can it be thought of as in terms of time, past or future.

This pure Mind, the source of everything, shines forever and on all with the brilliance of its own perfection. But the people of the world do not awake to it, regarding only that which sees, hears, feels, and knows, as mind. Blinded by their own sight, hearing, feeling and knowing, they do not perceive the brilliance of the source-substance.

If they would only eliminate all conceptual thought in a flash, that source-substance would manifest itself like the sun ascending through the void and illuminating the whole Universe without hindrance or bounds.

- Extracted from Tao & Zen

Is The Buddha Just A Man?

If the Buddha is a mere human being (which he is not),
Who was born and died like us,
How can he guide us to become Buddhas,
Who are beyond birth and death?

- Stonepeace

According to the Dona Sutra, the brahmin Dona was walking along when he sighted the Buddha's footprints. Amazed by their auspicious details of wheels with a thousand spokes, with rims and hubs, it occurred to him that they could not belong to a human being.

Tracing the footprints, he encountered the Buddha, who was seated under a tree, radiating and inspiring confidence and tranquillity mindfully.

Curious, he went forth and asked if the Buddha was a deva, a godly being, to which the Buddha said he was not. Next, he asked if he was a gandharva, a lesser godly being, to which the Buddha also replied that he was not.

Dona then asked if he was a yaksha, a demon, to which the Buddha again replied that he was not. Stumped, Dona finally asked if he was a human being, to which the Buddha too replied that he was not.

Out of further imaginable options, Dona finally asked, 'Then what sort of being are you?'

The Buddha answered that he had abandoned fermentations that conditioned rebirth as a deva, gandharva, yaksha or human being, similar to how a palmyra stump is totally uprooted. As such, he is no longer any of them or subject to being any of them again.

Just like a lotus flower that blossoms untainted and stands above muddy defiled water, though he was born in this world, he overcame its taints to become 'awakened'. This was when the Buddha defined himself for the first time, when he said, 'I am awake', or 'I am Buddha'.

The word 'Buddha' means an 'awakened one', one who was awakened from the taints of attachment, aversion and delusion, the muck and mire of Samsara.

Having described himself to be like a lotus, this is how the lotus became the symbol of purity in Buddhism, the goal which all Buddhists aspire towards, away from all fermentations and taints that condition rebirth.

The Buddha did not state that was not a mere human being in just one instance. He repeatedly taught that fully awakened ones cannot be defined as adhering to conditions which bind beings to the cycles of rebirth.

While their minds cling to those conditions which define them, his mind does not cling to any of them, just as a lotus flower rises above pure, unconditioned by the dirt where its roots were.

Greater than humans and gods, both of whom are still bound by rebirth, one of the traditional titles of the Buddha is 'Teacher of humans and gods', as it is he, who is free from rebirth, who discerned and walked the path to this freedom, who is capable of teaching all along this path. The Buddha was human when he was still Prince Siddhartha and Ascetic Gautama, but having evolved spiritually and perfectly in compassion and wisdom, he joins the 'race' of all other Buddhas, who are equally supremely enlightened!

Having transcended all constraints,
the Buddha can skilfully manifest as
devas, gandharvas, yakshas, humans or any other beings
to guide them to Buddhahood.

- Extracted from The Daily Enlightenment

Prajna Paramita

Prajna Paramita is the Perfection of Wisdom, as preached in the Heart Sutra.

When we realize and can perceive that the 5 aggregates (form, feeling, pereception, mental formation and consciousness) are empty, we would have developed Prajna Paramita.

Without Prajna (wisdom), we cannot understand the principle of emptiness.

Developing Prajna is not about secluding yourself in some remote retreat to meditate and chant the Heart Sutra. Wisdom emerges in the midst of the ordinary activities of our daily lives. It is there while we are eating, walking, sitting, sleeping or interacting with our environments and other people.

Here is a beautiful story that illustrates this.

Once, there lived a monk who visited a great Chan Master well known for his wisdom and enlightenment.

He stayed with the Master for more than ten years, serving him faithfully and taking care of all his mundane needs.

One day, he approached his Master and told him that he wants to leave.

The Master asked, "Where do you want to go?"

The young monk answered, "I want to go in search of the existence of the Dharma."

The Master answered, "There is the essence of the Dharma right here. Where else do you want to search for it?"

The young monk replied, "I have been here for more than 10 years, serving you faithfully. You have never explained anything to me about the Dharma. So, how can it be here?"

The Master was astonished, "How can you say that there is no essence of the Dharma here? When you came to offer me tea, I always accepted it and drank it. When you brought me food, I ate it. When you joined your palms and bowed down to pay respect to me, I have nodded my head in response. All these things tell you about the essence of the Dharma. How can you say that the essence of the Dharma is not here? All these are the essence of the Dharma. They stand for the parjna in our daily life!"

The young monk answered, "Oh! This is Prajna! Let me think this over."

The Master said, "Don't think. Thinking arouses differentiation; thinking is no longer prajna."

The moment the young monk heard this sentence, he became enlightened.

So, what this story illustrates is that prajna is everywhere, and Buddhist teachings is everywhere around us. It is when you live mindfully that you will understand prajna.

If you have prajna, then you can clearly see that the 5 aggregates are empty. Once we understand that these aggregates are empty, then we are able to cross the ocean of suffering and achieve enlightenment. We will no longer be consumed by the differentiation of our lives, the dualities of existence.

We can then see that everything is emptiness and this world is illusory...

The Secret of the Buddha's Smile

One of the most iconic images of Buddhism is surely that of the Buddha sitting silently under a tree, with his eyes half-closed, while beaming the most beautiful, kind and understanding smile ever.

So enduring is this depiction of deep peace and composure, that the Buddha, be it in the form of statues or pictures, is the most reproduced image in the world. It is appreciated not only by Buddhists, but by people from various cultural walks of life – to the extent that Buddha images have become home decor must-haves for many!

Yet, as alluring as the Buddha’s smile is, many of us are still puzzled by it, for it presents many a mystery… Why is the Buddha smiling? What is he smiling about? How did he manage to attain the True Happiness that his smile represents? Perhaps most importantly, can we smile a similar smile too?

Of course we can! Is that not the deeper reason why we venerate the Buddha – so as to draw inspiration from him, so as to emulate his perfect compassion and wisdom? The good news is that ever since the Buddha smiled his ‘magic’ smile, he shared on how we can too.

The Buddha smiles because he has made peace, not only with himself, but with the rest of the world too.

This should not be mistaken as constant abiding in a state of complacent inactivity, for Buddhahood is realised through the active perfection of compassion to benefit all beings, and of the perfection of wisdom to know how to best help them. What the eternally seated Buddha represents is the state of enlightened bliss that the Buddha abides in – even as he does his best, which is whatever is necessary in the moment, to guide beings to the same enlightenment (synonymous with True Happiness).

The secret of the Buddha’s smile lies in the mastery of his mind – through the practice of meditation. The pose we see Buddha images in is usually that of the Buddha in the classic meditation posture. There are many forms of meditation taught today, with just as many varied purposes as techniques, just as in the Buddha’s time.

The Buddha himself mastered meditation from the greatest meditation teachers available then – before realising their methods were inadequate for realising enlightenment.

What then, sets the Buddha’s meditation methods aside? The Buddha too taught many forms of meditation, as part of the Noble Eightfold Path to liberation. In this sense, the Buddha never really taught any meditation technique for its own sake, as the long-term goal is always nothing less than perfect enlightenment.

Buddhist meditation thus should ideally not be practised merely as a feel-good relaxation exercise, as if one is doing yoga only for fitness. It would be a great pity to shortchange ourselves of meditation’s full benefits! However, it is nevertheless true that what the Buddha taught can still benefit many who do not yet aspire for enlightenment. All in good time?

A good example of a Buddhist meditation method suitable for all, be one Buddhist or not, is the practice of loving-kindness (Metta) meditation, whereby one systematically cultivates thoughts and energy of loving-kindness, first within and for oneself, before it overflows and radiates to the world.

Often mistaken as a simple visualisation exercise, when Metta is trained well, transformative waves of loving-kindness can truly be generated, felt and extended. Strong metta is a soothing balm not just for one’s troubled mind, but heals beyond – through loving words and deeds too. With more Metta for all, you will get closer to the Buddha’s magic smile too!

One of the most common misconceptions of meditation is that it is dangerous – which unfortunately keeps some a perpetual distance from attaining the Buddha’s smile. This is a very general misconception indeed… that easily applies to virtually everything else in life. For instance, it is dangerous to drive too, as one might have a fatal crash, just as it is dangerous to swim as one might drown? The truth is, nothing is dangerous if it is learnt properly from a skillful teacher. Just as a masterful driver and swimmer is always safe, likewise is a good meditation practitioner.

Someone remarked to a friend new to meditation that though meditation may bring benefits according to many independent scientific reports, it is dangerous as demons may infiltrate his mind! Though well-meaning, the truth is that meditation, when practised properly, is precisely to learn how to mindfully protect one’s mind from inner demons, which are our spiritual defilements like attachment, aversion and delusion (which cause unhappiness), and outer demons (in terms of any adverse external circumstances). In this sense, it is more dangerous not to meditate!

As meditation always involves mindfulness, when the practitioner is mindful, the person is not only in control, but in control greater than usual. As such, it is not possible to ‘lose one’s mind’ through meditation. In fact, one becomes a better master of one’s mind. That said, there are some who might be less suitable for certain forms of meditation due to mental ailments. Yet, there is always at least one method suitable for everyone. Just as a doctor can prescribe the right medicine for physical ills, a good meditation teacher can likewise prescribe the best method.

Meditation is also not about making the mind blank – as mindfulness is always required. As such, it is not about doing nothing or daydreaming. Once again, with the presence of mindfulness and control, there is no need to worry about being brainwashed! It is only by surrendering mindfulness that brainwashing can happen. In contrast, whenever we live our lives unmindfully, in a state of haze, we are already somewhat ‘brainwashing’ ourselves! Meditation thus reverses this tendency and reconnects us with genuine conscious living.

Another common misconception of meditation is that it is very difficult to practise. Using the driving and swimming examples again, it is almost always challenging at first, for anyone who is new to any skill, to master it. When the going gets a little tough, we should remind ourselves of the immeasurable worth of mastering our minds – that very source of our happiness and unhappiness. The good news is that practice does make perfect. Let us practise diligently then! It is also appropriate to start simpler by learning foundational meditation techniques such as mindfulness of breathing (Anapanasati).

It is worth noting too, that the practice of chanting done well is also a meditative practice, as it too has effects similar to other meditation techniques – in cultivating calmness and clarity of mind. That chanted can include sutras (discourses of the Buddha), mantras (strings of sacred syllables for invoking pure states of mind – such as the mantra of compassion – ‘Om Mani Padme Hung’) and general prayers. The chanting of ‘homage to’ or ‘refuge in’ (Namo) various Buddhas and Bodhisattvas is practised too, the most popular of which is ‘Namo Amituofo’ (Amitabha Buddha). The benefits of these practices are tremendous as well.

Contrary to popular belief, meditation is not at all a dull activity. In fact, it is the doorway to the greatest inner adventure ever – to discover and actualise the hidden potentials of the mind. The practice of meditation eventually leads to mastery of both the inner and the outer world, as we increase in fortitude for facing the vicissitudes of life, to be able to remain smiling like the Buddha in the eye of the storm! Through meditation, may we spring to greater life with mindfulness, as we master the smile of the Buddha!

Heedfulness is the path to the deathless (Nirvana; liberation from suffering of rebirth).
Heedlessness is the path to death (and rebirth).
The heedful die not (as they are alive with mindfulness).
The heedless are as if dead already (as they live mindlessly).

- The Buddha

Extracted from : - The Daily Enlightenment

How A Dragon Girl Attained "Instant" Buddhahood

Major sudden enlightenment in an instant is the culminating effect
of minor gradual awakenings over much time.

- Stonepeace


In the Lotus Sutra, there is a section where Wisdom Accumulation Bodhisattva asks Manjushri Bodhisattva if there is anyone who could, through diligent vigour, swiftly cultivate the teachings in the same profound sutra to quickly attain Buddhahood.

Manjushri Bodhisattva replied that there is a Dragon King’s daughter, who is only eight years of age, who is able to practise all the teachings taught by the Buddha, who is able to, in an instant, aspire to Bodhicitta and attain irreversibility of spiritual progress.

Being compassionately mindful of all beings as if they were her children, her eloquence in teaching the Dharma is wondrous and her merits complete.

Wisdom Accumulation Bodhisattva remarked that he had seen Shakyamuni Buddha practising the Dharma for the sake of limitless beings throughout immeasurable space and time without rest to attain Buddhahood, which makes it hard to believe that the girl could do likewise so soon.

Just then, the girl appeared, bowed before them, and praised the magnificent form of the Buddha, which is complete with the thirty-two marks and eighty secondary characteristics of a great being, which shines in all directions and is honoured by all.

Shariputra too exclaimed of the difficulty in believing the claim of her quick attainment of Buddhahood, as one with a female form cannot become a Brahma heaven king, Shakra (king of Trayastrimsa Heaven), a Mara king (of the Parinirmita Vasavartin Heaven), a Wheel-turning Sage king (who rules the world with the Dharma), and much less a Buddha (a Dharma King) – unless one has passed through many eons to perfect the paramitas (perfections).

The Dragon Girl then offered a precious gem to the Buddha, asking if her offering was swift, to which Wisdom Accumulation and Shariputra agreed that it was.

Next, she asked them to watch her become a Buddha in an even swifter manner. At that moment, the entire assembly saw her suddenly transform into a man, perfect the Bodhisattva conduct, instantly going to a southern world, sitting upon a jewelled lotus and attaining Buddhahood, embodying the thirty-two marks and eighty secondary characteristics.

There, she proclaimed the wonderful Dharma for many beings, who rejoiced and paid their respects. Hearing the Dharma, many aspired to Bodhicitta, attained irreversibility and received predictions of Buddhahood.

This short teaching speaks against, at the same time, ageism, sexism, casteism, racism and speciesism.

Despite being young, female, a non-brahmin (priests revered in ancient India as the ‘select few’ with higher spirituality), and a dragon (naga), the Dragon Girl was able to attain Buddhahood swiftly, by adhering to the great universal teachings of the Lotus Sutra.

She herself attests to this very teaching against unjustified forms of discrimination by example.

Even if there are relatively few like the Dragon Girl among us, it is true, nevertheless, that anyone of any age, gender, social background, race or even kind, can attain Buddhahood.

It all depends on how diligently one had been practising and realising the Dharma both in this life and in previous lives.

While it is true that Buddhas naturally arise from male forms, it is possible to instantaneously evolve to a male form within this life, also through diligence, as in the case of the Dragon Girl.

Being born in Pure Land is also a fast way to relinquish gender limitations. This incident also subtly reminds us not to discriminate anyone, as anyone might be on the brink of Buddhahood, or even be the skilful manifestation of a Buddha!

The Buddha never spiritually discriminated anyone
as everyone has undiscriminating Buddha-nature.

- Stonepeace

Taking Refuge in the Dharma

Be islands unto yourselves,
refuges unto yourselves,
seeking no other refuge;
with the Dharma as your island,
the Dharma as your refuge,
seeking no other refuge.

- The Buddha

Shortly after the Buddha attained enlightenment under the Bodhi (Enlightenment) Tree, and having surveyed the entire universe, he reflected thus – 'It is not a good thing to live without anyone to look up to, follow, or take refuge in. But there is no holy teacher or brahmin [noble person], no one in this world, who surpasses me in [the Threefold Training of] discipline [morality], meditation [concentration] or wisdom, whom I could honour and venerate.

All there is for me to honour and venerate is the Dharma, the holy teaching [that leads to enlightenment] that I have discovered myself… That is good. I shall place myself under that. The enlightened Buddhas of past ages of the world also lived honouring and venerating the precious holy Dharma.' If even all the countless Buddhas saw the Dharma to be so good for taking refuge in, it must be all the more beneficial for us unenlightened beings to look up to, follow and take refuge in as well – for it leads to the perfection of the Threefold Training, culminating in unsurpassable Buddhahood!

The Buddha's thoughts above form a remarkable teaching, which expresses the humility of the Buddha despite his obvious spiritual greatness, of how he sees the need to check one's position with what is above oneself, which in his case, similar to ours, is the Dharma – the truth itself, and the path that leads to the realisation of it.

Even the Buddhas are not above the natural and universal laws of the Dharma, which is why even after the Buddha had attained supreme enlightenment, he continues to take refuge in the Dharma. In fact, still under the Bodhi Tree when recently awakened, he spent time to fully reflect upon and relish in the marvels of the Dharma. Becoming one with it in totality of body, speech and mind, he meant it literally when he uttered, 'One who sees the Dharma sees the Buddha.'

The Buddha is the living embodiment of the Truth and one who walked the path to it perfectly, who unceasingly honours and venerates the Dharma by practising and sharing it out of boundless compassion for all who have yet to realise it. Without the Dharma, there would be no Buddhas or Sangha!

The two earliest lay Buddhists could only take refuge in the Double Gem of the Buddha and the Dharma due to the absence of the Sangha then. Thereafter, Buddhists take the Threefold Refuge in the Triple Gem – of the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha.

This is so with the exception of Buddhas. Though also perfect members of the Sangha, they take refuge only in the Dharma. Even the Sangha community of monks and nuns founded by the Buddha takes refuge in the Triple Gem (including the Sangha itself).

However, the central aspect of refuge in the Triple Gem for all monastic and lay Buddhists is always 'the Dharma taught by the Buddha' (Buddhadharma). This is so as unless the Sangha members we take refuge in are of the Arya (Noble) Sangha, who consist of those who are enlightened to some extent, the ordinary and thus somewhat worldly Sangha is realistically imperfect, still a work in progress towards enlightenment. The tricky thing is that we can't, with our limited wisdom, readily differentiate who is a member of the Arya Sangha, who can range from the young to the old, men to women, laypeople to monastics. It makes sense then, to respect everyone – even if they are not Buddhists by label!

The true Triple Gem never disappoints
as the Buddha, Dharma and Arya Sangha together
is a perfect teacher, a perfect teaching
And its community of perfect practitioners.

- Stonepeace

Extracted from The Daily Enlightenment

Eating Salt

A long time ago, a fool was invited to a neighbor’s house to share a meal. Once the food was served, the fool was displeased because he found the food tasteless. His neighbor noticed this and immediately sought to remedy the situation by offering the fool some salt.

After the fool sprinkled a bit of salt onto his food and took a bite, he said to himself, ‘The salt has really made the food quite tasty. If such a small amount of salt has had such an effect, just imagine what a lot of salt will do!’ To his neighbor’s astonishment, he pushed his meal to the side and began to eat the salt all by itself. Of course, it wasn’t long before the foolish man had burned his mouth, and instead of being delighted he groaned in pain.

A person who misconstrues the Way of Understanding is just like this fool. He hears that by eating and drinking less, the Way may be gained, and so he fasts for seven or even fifteen days. He ends up starving himself in vain and realizes nothing of the Way. Consider this carefully and you’ll find it is so.

"If eating or fasting leads to enlightenment,
the greediest and the hungriest would long be enlightened."

- Extracted from TheDailyEnlightenment.com

Buddha Chanting

The chanting of Amitabha Buddha's Name can be practiced by both the young and old, and those in the prime of life. It is suitable for everyone.

When Amitabha Buddha achieved buddhahood, he made 48 magnificent vows to benefit all sentient beings. These vows involved the manifesting of the Western Pure Land and the saving of all sentient beings.

Amitabha's 18th vow is the most significant - He vow to save all sentient beings who called upon him and chant his name and bring them to the Western Paradise : -

"Provided I become a Buddha, if the beings of the ten quarters who after having heard my name, and thus awakened their highest faith and aspiration of re-birth in that country of mine, even they have recollected such a thought for ten times only, they are destinated to be born there, with the exception of those who have committed the five deadly sins (Anantarya), and who have blasphemed the orthodox Law (Dharma), otherwise may I not attain the enlightenment."


Sick people can recite the Buddha's name. These people suffer from the pains of disease because of karmic obstacles. You should hold the Buddha's name in order to lessen these obstacles.

Those who are healthy should take advantage of their health to recite the Buddha's name and dedicate their recitation to insure their perpetual good health.

Old people who are approaching the end of the road should follow the good path to the end. They should recite the Buddha's name.

Young people whose road ahead is filled with limitless light should recite "Na-mo A-mi-tuo-fo" to make the light appear.

Thus, the Dharma-door of Buddha Recitation is suitable for every type of person.

You can chant while walking, standing, sitting, or reclining.

The busiest people can recite the Buddha's name, and people who are the most at leisure can also recite the Buddha's name.

How do you practice recitation when you are very busy?

You practice the Morning and Evening Dharma Method of Ten Recitations. In the morning and the evening do ten recitations. Recite for the length of a single breath, "˜Na-mo A-mi-tuo-fo" repeatedly and that is one recitation.

Ten such breaths are called ˜ten recitations.

In the morning when you get up, wash your face and brush your teeth. Then face the West, or better still face an image of Amitabha Buddha, join your palms together very respectfully and bow three times. Chant "˜Na-mo A-mi-tuo-fo" for the length of ten full breaths. Do this ten times in the morning and ten times in the evening.

Don't deliberately stretch out the length of your breath or cut it short. It should be very natural.

Do this every day without interruption; it will only take five or ten minutes.

Can you recite at other times during the day? Of course you can. The more you recite, the better. With the skill derived from your practice of this Dharma you can be reborn in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss.

Suppose someone says, "I'm very stupid. Probably it's useless for me to recite."

In using this technique, the more stupid you are, the better! The wiser you are, the better! No matter how wise you are you cannot exhaust the method of Buddha Recitation. No matter how stupid you are, you are still included within it and it can be your guide.

This method of Buddha Recitation is one of the most expedient Dharma door.

Amitabha Buddha, in his infinite wisdom, know that a lot of sentient beings may not have the necessary skills, mental faculties, time or a guru to teach them the various Sutras. Therefore, He has opened up this Dharma door so that every sentient being can rely on His Vows to achieve enlightenment without having to go through endless rounds of reincarnation.

This is the expedient way to attain enlightenment.

The Lotus

The lotus (padme) is an important symbol in Tibetan Buddhism and is commonly associated with the process of becoming a buddha.

In Tibetan Buddhist iconography, buddhas are often seated on lotus thrones, indicating their transcendent state. A lotus is born in the muck and mud at the bottom of a swamp, but when it emerges on the surface of the water and opens its petals, a beautiful flower appears, unstained by the mud from which it arose.

Similarly, the compassion and wisdom of buddhas arise from the muck of the ordinary world, which is characterized by fighting, hatred, distrust, anxiety, and other negative emotions. These emotions tend to cause people to become self-centered and lead to suffering and harmful actions.

But just as the world is the locus of destructive emotions, it is also the place in which we can become buddhas, perfected beings who have awakened from the sleep of ignorance and who perceive reality as it is, with absolute clarity and with profound compassion for suffering living beings.

Just as the lotus arises from the bottom of a swamp, so buddhas were former humans, immersed in the negative thoughts and actions in which all ordinary beings engage: the strife, wars, petty jealousies, and hatreds to which all humans, animals, and other creatures are subject.

Through their meditative training, however, buddhas have transcended such things, and like lotuses have risen above their murky origins and look down on them unsullied by the mud and mire below.

The symbolism may be extended still further, because buddhas do not simply escape the world and look down on others with pity or detached amusement; rather, like the lotus, which has roots that still connect it with the bottom of the swamp, buddhas continue to act in the world for the benefit of others, continually manifesting in various forms in order to help them, to make them aware if the reality of their situations, and to indicate the path to the awakening of buddhahood, which can free them from all suffering.

- Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism (John Powers)

Enlightenment Is Always There

Enlightenment is always there. Small enlightenment will bring great enlightenment. If you breathe in and are aware that you are alive—that you can touch the miracle of being alive—then that is a kind of enlightenment. Many people are alive but don't touch the miracle of being alive.

That is the environment people live in. But with a practice, we can always remain alive in the present moment. With mindfulness, you can establish yourself in the present in order to touch the wonders of life that are available in that moment. It is possible to live happily in the here and the now. So many conditions of happiness are available—more than enough for you to be happy right now. You don't have to run into the future in order to get more.

- Thich Nhat Hanh

Energy Vampire

I have a BFF that I love to death.

We have known each other for many years and got along very well. We have shared a lot of our lives - the ups, the downs, the joys and the sorrows.

However, whenever I spent time with her, I felt drained and very tired. Even if I had spent less than an hour with her, doing nothing but just talking over coffee, I still felt that way.

I had always wondered why I felt this way when I am around her.

Over time, as I become wiser, I realized that there are certain people who brings very good energy with them. When you are around these people, you felt very alive, energetic and a lightness. You just enjoyed your time with them.

And there are people like my friend, whom you feel bad after spending time with them.

Why is that so?

I discovered that these people are actually "Energy Vampires". When you are around them, they literally drained your energy and you end up feeling very tired, depressed, down or melancholy.

I have observed that these "Energy Vampires" share some characteristics : -

• They are generally very self-absorbed individuals that only cared about themselves.
• They also think that their needs and priorities are more important than yours.
• Every incident or events that happened in their lives are filled with dramas.
• And they are quite deluded, in the sense that they do not learn the lessons that the Universe is teaching them and as a consequence, they make the same mistakes again and again.
• They are also not sensitive to the people around them.

When I realized these, I developed a stategy to only meet my friend when I am feeling good.

On those days when I am stressed or not feeling good, I tried to avoid meeting her. I would make some excuses to reschedule our appointment to another day.

When I meet her, I always picture a bright light surrounding me.

I maintain an aura of impenetrable energy around me to ensure that her negative energy does not seep into my being. And with that, I am able to interact with her and not feel drained at the end of the encounter.

You may be asking : - Why not just avoid her altogether?

Well, some times, life gives you the people who challenges you, who teaches you patience and help you to cultivate the path to enlightenment and wisdom.

And therefore, I still keep in touch with her, sharing my wisdom and learnings so that she can become aware about her own dramas and move forward to better experiences.