A TRIBUTE TO MY MOTHER ON THIS MOTHER'S DAY

Hello, Dear Parent Friends of the Web! 

Here is a touch of my wisdom... to make a difference in the tapestry of life. 

TODAY, MOTHER'S DAY, SUNDAY MAY 10, 2020

IN REMEMBRANCE OF

 MY MOST BEAUTIFUL AND UNFORGETTABLE MOTHER

⏤MILDRED GUNAWARDENA⏤

AND HER TIMELESS AMAZING GRACE!

Photo with love and gratitude to Rekha Vasudeva

No words can ever match up to what I really wish to say...

Although my mother lives through me
 in umpteen subtle ways...

Yet, truth be told, she was unparalleled in demeanor, wisdom, and other-worldly grace!

A magnetizing spirit
 winning the affection and attention

 of countless souls of the human race...

Expanding her circle of LOVE
most naturally, and spontaneously... 

From the very nucleus of family, 
to the outermost peripheries of community, 

nationality, and universality...

My mother epitomized LOVE at its best⏤
being benevolently compassionate... 

Exuding selflessness through every breath
 and every step along the way!

Loving, giving, and receiving, 
responsibly and unconditionally… 
living her human purpose on EARTH
 with poise, placidity, zeal, and perseverance...

Yes, she emanated an aura of serenity
 beyond comparison⏤unruffled by worldly adventure...

Always remaining resolute and strong…
with tranquility, integrity, and equilibrium 

Having had a passion for learning
 ⏤from her very tender years to greater maturity⏤
through life’s perpetual turning to old age….

My mother was acutely intuitive
 to insightfully recognize

 that 'composites of knowledge' 
as ‘perspectives of knowledge’ 
converged provisionally, yet seemingly,
⏤fashioning the so called 'world'⏤

 pivoted upon the sole MORAL GROUND
 OF NATURE'S EQUALIZING COMPASSION, 

 SUBLIME, through eternal time! 

As a mentor to scores of children
 and parents of the world, 

my mother lived to perpetuate this TRUTH
 of PERENNIAL COMPASSION...as the edifice

 upon which all of knowledge must rest!

In her vision, knowledge in the absence
 of ALL-CENTERED COMPASSION…
is/was none else, but, a bottomless abyss, 
to solemnly restate!

UNCEASING GRATITUDE, indeed, is indebted to you
sweetest, dearest, MOTHER⏤GREAT!
for shaping the precious lives of your very own children, 
grandchildren, and children of humanity
with meaning and purpose
overriding conventional tides and trends!

This is a heartfelt tribute
to my wondrous mom
 who stood all tests of time
until the ripe age of eighty-five 
(at the dawn of the millennium)
 to share her heart of WISDOM and LOVE
through 'each present' 
along the spatiotemporal continuum⏤
called human experience!

Let me walk you along the path of peace and grace. Humanity cries out loud for help.

IN LOVING MEMORY OF MY BELOVED DAD WHO LIVES THROUGH ME AND MY SIBLINGS

Hello, Dear Parent Friends of the Web! 

Here is a touch of my wisdom… to make a difference in the tapestry of life. 

Remembering My Dad, My Hero⏤Regal,

 Humble at Heart, and Lovingly Kind!

Thirty-three years ago

On this day of July 28, 1986

A Comfortless emptiness 

Pervaded my heart 
Seeing my precious and loving dad depart 
Waking me to the eerie knock on my soul, alas!

An unprecedented and uncanny darkness

Took over my mind

Never to be the same vivacious spirit

I have known of myself

Since the very inception of my life

A million tears shed

Mourning over my loss

Sobbing helplessly and hopelessly

Never brought solace, that lasts!

My life’s course changed forever

Aspiring to probe

Into the mystery of ‘being’ and ‘non-being’

So I may find the root of my soul

Through unfolding eternal time

Day after day

Vigor and valor held the rhythm 

Of my inner motivation

Propelled by intuition 

In search of TRUTH, the answer

Where is my dear one?

Seemingly gone, forever

Yet, there is a mystery

To be uncovered

Beyond mundane fervor

The river of my life

Courses through the space-time dimension

Surging across the bends, twists, bumps, and curves

Of many revelations

The river’s contents are replenished

From one moment, to the next

In accordance with the nature⏤of the perceiving mindset

From mental turbidity to clarity

The river brings the promise of crystallized TRUTH

My beloved father, I now know

Neither came, nor went! 

For I realize I have been caught, mistakenly

Between birth and death

Trapped in the illusion of ‘SELF’ 

And what belongs to SELF

Though the REALITY is far deeper 

Than the myth—called SELF

The TRUTH prevails, unfailingly

Since all beings are the modulations

Of ONE LOVE—unconditional

Devoid of attachment—to changing appearances!

Birth and death are just surreal manifestations

Until SELF is dispelled

With calm abiding and investigative attention

MIND—undifferentiated—the OCEAN

Of omniscience⏤infinite! 
Mind⏤differentiated⏤of manifest 

Multiplicity and Diversity

Of phenomenal revolutions

By sensory perception⏤finite

MIND—the OCEAN⏤the dancer,  
Ruffled and stirred

In response to the 'winds of KARMA'⏤or 'objectivity'

Spurred by sensory perception 
Of 'apprehender'⏤'apprehended' duality

Setting off waves of mentality

Upon the surface of the MIND OCEAN⏤of magnanimity!

Waves of multiplicity⏤

In diversity of appearance

Merging into one another

Across the causal field of relativity and mutuality

Interdependence⏤the precursor, of every phenomenon! 

All in the ONE, and ONE in the All

Is TRUTH and REVELATION 

From the purview of insightful intelligence!

My attachments—called by many names

Are the waves upon the MIND OCEAN—as processes of ‘being’

Evolving while conditions are present
By the power of attraction

And dissolving when conditions are absent

Until I wake up from the long night of SAMSARA

While it is more than three decades

Since my beloved dad’s passing,

And nearly two decades 

Since my wondrous mom’s passing

I no longer mourn, in vain

But celebrate their presence in me, and my siblings

Not forgetting, our off-spring!

This is where I am, today

Coursing through a higher level of vibration

Than what I have been, yesterday!

Attempting to soar higher⏤through contemplation

This is the only way to liberation!

For while I remain bobbing atop the OCEAN —in SAMSARA

My attachments are far from being dispelled 
Yet, I live in the light of TRUTH

That my parents never really went away!

Let me walk you along the path of peace and grace. 

Humanity cries out loud for help.

THANKSGIVING EVERYDAY!

Hello, Dear Parent Friends of the Web! 

Here is a touch of my wisdom... to make a difference in the tapestry of life. 

GIVING THANKS FOR ALL THAT IS…AND FOR ALL THAT WILL EVER BE..
GROUNDED IN LOVE!

Gratitude for LIFE!

I remain humbled today, and every day, that I am able to live—breathing, speaking, and loving life—while moving freely!

I marvel at the fact that I am able to stand, walk, bend, twist, skip, hop, bounce, or run as I wish—in my own capacity!

I cherish the moments when I can sit, stretch myself flat, or lie down to rest.

I am thankful to be bestowed, uniquely, with other natural gifts of life—to sing or dance in rhythmic momentum through time-sensitive opportunity.

I humbly accept whatever life presents through every passing moment—sublimely teaching me the lessons to be learned to my utmost perfection—testing my patience, tolerance, forgiveness, forbearance, and benevolent compassion.

Gratitude for the Unifying Principles of the Universe

I am filled with gratitude for being able to nourish my body with Mother Earth's supple and bountiful offerings of unconditional LOVE—for all of LIFE—by way of fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains, and legumes, infused with rainbow energy!

It is my highest aspiration not to find self-gratification by causing ill-will upon other beings of sentience—for I have come to realize that other's happiness is my happiness and vice versa—in keeping with the inscrutable universal principle of 'equality and reciprocity' that prevails, infinitely.

I solemnly accept the peaceful presence of the four magnanimous wonders (of earth, water, fire, and air) when they interactively present each moment, as the UNIVERSE of experience—quite contrary to their wrathful manifestations when it is time to remind and heal us humanity of our ONENESS that transcends all mental constructs, by way of distinctions and differentiations!

I am mesmerized knowing that I am sustained in body and mind by these exalted energies—in the form of solidity, fluidity, motility and warmth—physically and physiologically, as well as mentally (by attitude), and psychologically, (by temperament).

Gratitude for Being 'Who I Am' in BODY, MIND, and SPIRIT!

I remain in mindfulness, always, with implicit respect for my sensory body, while guarding the windows of my mind—my sense-bases—from the bombardment of toxic external stimuli. I vow silently to be non-reactive, but rather, being responsive to all adversities—environmentally, and all adversaries and negative influences—socially.

My heart is caressed, from one moment to the next, when I read, write, and reflect upon my purpose in life—in addition to nourishing and nurturing my intellect with peaceful mental stimulation to its ultimate potential.

I feel overjoyed when I consciously emulate an altruistic attitude in my thoughts, words, and deeds—aspiring to offer my best to fellow beings who may appreciate or seek my support.

I value my ability to express my thoughts meaningfully—as a help to life—with my prehensile aptitudes and artistic talents!

I do my utmost never to take life for granted while am fully aware that I am an indispensable filament of vibration in the vast and inconceivable cosmic symphonic ballet—of interconnectedness, interdependence, and interpenetration. 

'How may I make a healthy difference in the Great Dance of LIFE?' is my voice, in silence and solitude, for I am fully aware that I am deeply responsible for the happiness of the 'WHOLE' of ONENESS—of SELFLESSNESS—as opposed to gratifying my selfish desires.

I dwell in contemplation and introspection through each infinite moment, realizing the precious nature of my very 'being and becoming' that intersects with all aspects of life—as they continually remain in mutual causality. As a mortal, I recognize that I must succumb to 'the forces of conditioning' brought to bear by the latent accumulations of thought, word, and deed—effected both individually and collectively.

Gratitude to My Family

I pay homage, day and night, to my dearly beloved parents—Dionicious and Mildred Gunawardena—who lived their lifetimes epitomizing 'the wisdom of selflessness' and 'altruistic compassion'. I—along with my siblings, spouse, and children—feel truly blessed to be their natural continuations aspiring to bring out the best of our cultural and spiritual heritage—by way of thought, word, and deed. I treasure these precious members of my family for their gentle dispositions, aptitudes, talents, and altruistically-oriented aspirations.

I am also grateful for other kindred beings who have intersected with my life—in one way or another—as my extended family.

Gratitude to My Human Family

I remain in wonder and awe for my beautiful human family of kaleidoscopic diversity and multiplicity—by way of appearances—upon the ground of UNITY, or ONE ESSENCE. 

Succinctly expressed, I have come to recognize that our human experiences—as joys and rejoices, trials and tribulations, successes and failures—are none other than being the consequences we perpetually bring to bear by the choices we make by our thoughts, words, and deeds, of limited, imprudent perception.

While I understand that the universe is 'whole and complete' in the moment—untainted by subjectivity and associated views—it bears the potential to illumine LIFE with UNCONDITIONALITY and ALL-ENCOMPASSING EQUALITY.

To embrace my deep interconnectedness with all of humanity is my own personal awakening; it is my conviction that groping in the darkness of 'separateness' is to be blinded by fundamental ignorance that is self-affirming and self-depreciating. 

Gratitude to My Sentient Family

I extend my loving kindness and altruistic compassion to all beings of conditioned sentience that inhabit the cosmos—human or otherwise, large or small, powerful or weak, visible or invisible—each of which wields an oar in one way, or another, to live its sublime universal purpose being engaged collaboratively to steer the web of LIFE to infinity.

As a human, from a spiritual vantage point—surpassing the limits of my selfish intellect—I hold every precious sentient 'form' or 'pulsation' very dear to my heart knowing that we, together, are indispensably linked by the sole breath of LOVE.

It is my recognition that LOVE is SELFLESS, OMNISCIENT and ALL-TRANSCENDENT. LOVE veiled by subjective attitudes as diverse forms of selfish love—biological love, lustful love, instinctual love, and so on—inhibits dim-witted mortals from seeing ULTIMATE TRUTH and REALITY that transcends self-focused walls of mind.

Gratitude to the Environment 

I look upon the environment—as 'the here' and 'the now' within the global tapestry of LOVE—as my extended sensory body of manifestation reflecting the aura of its partakers. As to how I am continually influenced by the environment rests upon the nature of my viewing apparatus, as well as the quality of attention I give to it, to the best of my human potential—with deep reverence and responsibility.

In keeping with the ever-prevalent and reigning Moral Principle of the Universe—of WISDOM AND COMPASSION—nature incessantly flexes its muscles of 'selfless magnanimity and wonder' awakening us with 'lessons of healing' when spiritual deterioration and degeneration persists. It is my passionate desire to cultivate my higher mind—with mindfulness—being benevolently charitable to my extended body, the environment, unadulterated by exploitative abuse of it.

 Serving My Human Purpose on Earth

It is my highest realization that my human time on Earth is just 'a speck' along the course towards infinity. The 'I' and 'mine' that I seemingly cherish as 'body and mind' withers away irrevocably through the unfolding phases—of material origination, evolution, decline, and dissolution. I may only aspire to be 'full' with cultivated virtuosity and 'useful' to all other fellow beings on Earth with my benevolent heart—shaping the course of my destiny—harmonized by LOVE.

All the many roles I play as 'son or daughter', 'father or mother', 'brother or sister', 'friend or acquaintance', and all the many vestures I assume in life—professionally or occupationally—are simply put, lessons of sublime healing to bring me home to my primordial nature of SELFLESSNESS. Be that as it may, I do my best to live my human purpose on EARTH with benevolent COMPASSION.

 Let me walk you along the path of peace and grace. Humanity cries out loud for help.

AS TO BEING WHO WE ARE? AS TO BEING WHAT WE ARE? AS TO BEING WHY WE ARE⎯⎯THE WAY WE ARE?

Hello, Dear Parent Friends of the Web!

Here is a touch of my wisdom… to make a difference in the tapestry of life.

THE FOLLOWING IS A DEEP REFLECTION

SO WE MAY LIVE OUR HUMAN PURPOSE WITH HUMILITY, INTEGRITY, HARMONY, AND OVERALL BALANCE⏤WHILE WE SUSTAIN EQUILIBRIUM
 IN BODY, MIND, AND SPIRIT

AS TO BEING WHO WE ARE:

The sensory 'mind-body' is a spontaneous psychophysical expression fashioned by 'subjective attitude'⏤colored and conditioned by the ever-looming 'three fires of self-perpetuation' or 'the evil out-flowings' of body, speech, and mind (propelled by the five-grasping aggregates of 'being and becoming'), while 'self-ignorance' persists as described herein:

1. passion/lustful greed (attraction to that which is self-serving)
2. aversion/aggression (detraction from what is not self-serving) 
3. delusion/fundamental ignorance (remaining in denial of the TRUTH⏤that embodies the all-transcendent principle of 'selflessness')

Therefore, as to being 'who we are' is none else, but a 'mind-body' continuum⏤an uninterrupted five-step psychophysical process of 'being and becoming'⏤enumerated as follows:

1. form/appearance 
2. feeling/sensation⏤as pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral 
3. perception⏤of emotive nature⏤as pleasure (of likes), displeasure (of dislikes), or neutrality
4. conception⏤of conceptual nature⏤of discrimination/volition/memory/cognition 
5. all of the above operating in concert as mentation⏤or consciousness in flux; it is a constant stream of maturation of latent 'volitional seed-imprints'⏤of 'craving and attachment' in the form of habit energies⏤stored and preserved in the ever-evolving repository of 'the sub-conscious'  descending from beginning less time.

Again, as to being 'who we are' is the very evolving consciousness of bundled-up memories or 'habit energies', cumulatively known as the EGO SOUL, assuming 'the notion of a self' and its 'belongings'⏤by way of body, property and abode.

AS TO BEING WHAT WE ARE:

Primarily, the sentient 'mind-body' is a process and a coalescence or fusion of four wondrous cosmic energies⏤symbolized by the following substances: 

• of resistance⏤symbolized by a substance⏤called the earth element (as solidity/rigidity of relative hardness or softness)
• of cohesion⏤symbolized by a a substance⏤called the water element (as fluidity/malleability of relative viscosity as 'flowing or pasting') 
• of transmutation⏤symbolized by a substance⏤called the fire element (as warmth of relative temperature⏤of hotness or coldness) 
• of motion⏤symbolized by a substance⏤called the air element (as motility or movement⏤of relative expansion or contraction) 

First and foremost, the 'mind-body' is a constellation of psychophysical energy in constant flux, fashioned and balanced by the four aforementioned wondrous cosmic energies at perpetual interplay. 

Secondly, it is a constitution of substances by means of which we experience our empirical world (the self and its instrumental world)⏤in terms of organic and inorganic matter⏤infinitely conditioned by our thoughts and emotions as a complex network of biophysical charges and biochemical processes. Essentially, it is a perpetually transient metabolic expression of our thoughts⏤as cellular and organic systems and processes.

Thirdly, from a cosmic purview, it is an electromagnetic symphony of psychophysical vibrations and harmonics bio-rhythmically aligned as 'personality' and 'universality'. There is an underlying symmetry that exists between the two⏤as 'EGO', (the subject or 'the inner') and 'its instrumental WORLD (the object', or 'the outer'). The objective world of 'multiplicity and diversity' is, in fact, the macrocosmic operating field of sensory consciousness⏤grounded in ego-driven subjectivity. Thus, if there was no 'self' or 'subject', there exists no object, called world!

AS TO BEING WHY WE ARE⏤THE WAY WE ARE?

To reiterate, we are the psychophysical outcroppings⏤reflected upon as "the five-aggregates' or 'five-clusters' that make up personality'⏤operating in tandem:

1. of form⏤composed of the eighteen elements of being 

• the six sense-bases or organs⏤eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind 

• the six sense-objects⏤of sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, and mental concepts 

• the six sense-consciousness(es)⏤of visual, auditory, olfactory, gustatory, tactile, and mind-consciousness 

1. of feeling/sensation⏤as pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral 

1. of perception⏤of emotive nature⏤as pleasure (by way of likes), displeasure (by way of dislikes), or neutrality

1. of conception⏤discriminating intelligence/mental formations/cognition/volition/memory

1. of mentation⏤overall consciousness

The aforementioned five aggregates are fashioned  by four indispensable, ineluctable nutriments.

These four forms of nutriments bear the seeds of the past, the present, and the future of our very 'being and becoming'

Therefore, it is important that we look deeply so we may nourish the body, mind, and spirit with these wholesome nutriments!

• Edible food
• Five-sense impressions
• Volition
• Consciousness

Edible Food is our most basic form of sustenance at the coarse/gross level of the body. The key to one's health and destiny, though, rests upon the way we choose to use the mouth—by personal choice and selection. 

Our desires for food consumption—by way of eating and drinking—are driven by the need for general sense-appeasement. The mouth and its taste-buds play the primary role in this regard. The preference of taste and flavor— emblazoned uniquely by shape, size, color, smell, density, texture and temperature—sadly takes precedence over 'satisfying the needs of the body'. Very often, we remain in denial of what the body requires and yearns for its overall health and well-being. The stubborn fact remains that 'our microcosmic living world of the body' is an intrinsic organic property and a process of the universe—composed of inorganic substances—while being propelled by evolutionary principles. It shares the nature of the universe and awaits being nurtured and sustained—with harmony and balance— by means of carefully absorbed vital energy, derived from potent nutrients of the physical/vegetal world. However, this essential truth is overshadowed by the habit energy of momentary pleasure sought.  Consequently, uncontrolled gluttony, negligence, and heedless ignorance pose to be the seeming cooperative conditions that perpetuate dis-ease, bringing about pain and suffering. As the sayings go, "we are what we eat" and '' the roots of all disease lie in the mouth"!

Sense Impressions are perpetual food as the breeding ground for thought; thought processes give rise to habit patterns that continually fashion our personality traits and, in turn, form and mold our character. Therefore, the exercise of mindfulness—with regard to the quality and type of sensory input—is essential towards the preservation of equilbrium between the body, mind, and spirit. Non-toxic sensory matter may only assure us with the promise of overall peacefulness. Let us not forget, the senses belong to the mind; they are mind's windows to the world! They deserve to be guarded with prudence and mindfulness—opening them to embrace purity, and shutting them to what is unworthy and defiled.

Volition has its roots in our deepest desires or motivation.  It is the ever-propellant force of mind that 'wills' through day and night to think, speak and act.  However, if desires originate from the darkness of afflictive emotions and consequential thought processes, a precious human life will  be doomed with misery. On the contrary, if desires are grounded in the brilliance of altruistic intention and compassion, an eternally joyful life will be the spontaneous revelation—in terms of our mortal experience. 

The desire or aspiration to transform oneself—from darkness to brilliance—is a noble path to undertake, and a realizable truth. When such a virtuous aspiration finds inward realization, a shift in our personal attention becomes self-evident in regard to all things. Very spontaneously, therefore, the quality of the outer world becomes a mere projection of the inner world; essentially, the 'outer' will only be reflective of the conceptual and emotional clarity or clutter/confusion that looms 'within'. From this vantage point, it is reasonable to say that entire societies have the potential to be transformed 'little by little', if and when the inner world has been discerned and looked upon with deep respect. Above all, the very apparent  emerging attitude—colored and conditioned by 'the inner taste of being'—sets the pace for all 'outer states of being'

The transformation of hate, enmity, envy, jealousy, and aggression, to say the least, into loving kindness,  sympathetic joy, forbearance, understanding, and reconciliation is a marvelous practice of wholesome volition—as 'the superfood' to healing the mind and its metabolic imprint, called the body.

Wholesome volition, it must be emphasized, is the noble way to end divisive thought, speech, and action.

It is the only avenue through which the mind is steered towards a deep sense of equality and democracy—in consideration of all human rights and social justice.

It is the realization of 'freedom' or 'liberty' centered at the heart of TRUTH! 

Consciousness, in a collective sense, is the 'seed-depository' or 'storehouse' of energy and information; it is the universal archive that contains, receives, retains, preserves, maintains, and processes the seed-imprints of 'purity and defilement'—while they most naturally and inevitably remain in counteractive gridlock and in eternal flux. Consciousness at its surface of manifestations—in alignment with causes and cooperative conditions—may be best expressed or regarded as 'the ever-heaving waves of interactive energy' springing upon the still ocean of 'essence' MIND. All of 'form and being', thus, are the unrelenting oscillations—as 'waves-forms' of energy—intermingling and interpenetrating with one another. From a very fundamental perspective we, together, share 'a collective consciousness' whereby we live, breathe, and consume through a kind of osmosis.

Our notions and concepts in relation to ethics and morality (in terms of good and evil, virtues and vices, and so forth) are products of our collective consciousness. We are naturally influenced by the thoughts and conditions prevalent within the aggregate consciousness that surrounds us—by way of family, community, city, state, nation, or world!

Therefore, it is in our best interest to find ways to nurture our nature within a well-intentioned collective consciousness that reveres as well as fosters holistic values and ideals— acknowledged as being inclusive and other-centered, while being individually self-respecting.

Let us look deeply to nourish the trinity of our very 'being'—in body, mind, and spirit—with the four aforementioned quintessential nutriments.

Let us, together, change our world for the better 'little by little, at a time'—by making a healthy shift in our inner attention—so we may re-adjust the way we look upon things,  simply expressed, as attitude!

 Let me walk you along the path of peace and grace. Humanity cries out loud for help.