I don’t even remember where I read this quote for the fist time but it has always stayed with me. Every individual possesses a unique character. It may not always match up with your own or fit into your personal interest but everything and everyone has their own reasons to exist in the world. And you should learn to accept it or at least not complain and grumble about it continually.
We can look at a simple example of air pollution. There’s massive hue and cry about it everywhere. But if it’s so problematic, why doesn’t somebody do something about it? Isn’t taking a concrete step better than doing nothing and merely criticizing? Instead of wasting energy, we should awaken ourselves toward better understanding. [break]
There’re some people whom I find extremely unhappy and dissatisfied. Nothing can ever make them smile. They aren’t content with what they have. They can’t appreciate or enjoy anything under the sun. I feel sorry for such people and wish I could help them in some way.
Photo: Keshab Thoker
Difference in perspective is quite natural. Two people may have two different ways of looking at the same thing. Just like the old example about the optimists and the pessimists goes, the glass is either half empty or half full. And that’s all there is to it. But the way a person looks at it may be due to various reasons. There’s a history of life concealed behind a single look or word. It shows the person’s social and emotional state and how happy, peaceful or secure he or she is in his or her own skin. So, instead of being judgmental, we must learn to be accepting. And instead of preaching and talking, we must learn the art of thinking and acting.
About Ani
Ani is a well known name among music lovers and spiritual enthusiasts. Her identity is not just limited to a Buddhist nun. She has crossed all the demarcations of geography, religion and affiliations.
Recently, her biography titled “Singing for Freedom” came out in the market. The book talks about her life as a notorious kid, her problematic relationship with her father, her entry into the monastery, and her life hereafter as a nun, a spiritual singer and a social worker.
Ani thinks that it was perhaps a bit too early for a biography on her to come out. But destiny, it seemed, had other plans. “Personally, I thought it was too early for a book but it was bringing money to support Arogya Foundation at Sanepa. We plan to buy new equipments for kidney dialysis and transplant,” she says. With the help of these updated instruments, quicker, cheaper and reliable reports regarding the compatibility between the donor and the receiver of kidney transplants can be acquired in Nepal itself.
Music, for her, is not an entertainment; nor is it a gateway to fame. Singing is mediation which not just nourishes her soul but also helps her transmit her calmness to a larger audience listening to her. “I’ve had some bitter experience in life which I wouldn’t wish on anybody else. It was due to my Guru and music that I could channel it in a positive manner. Bitterness has now turned to sweetness,” she says with a smile.
In future, she wishes to continue with Arya Tara School, music and monastery. She believes that a woman should believe in herself before anybody else believes in her. The worst form of discrimination, in her opinion, is the one that we do to ourselves. “One should always learn to be humble, not stupid,” she says.
“You should learn to say ‘No’ and realize when enough is enough.”
The lady, who used to dream of women flying planes, scaling mountains and ruling nations as a kid, urges all women to be comfortable with their own identities and once they’re happy with their own being, the clouds of doubt and desolation, she claims, will vanish away.
Not for Happiness
Dzongsarkhyentse Rinpoche
The book may not make much sense to someone who’s new to the world of Buddhist texts. But I find them to be a refreshing take on classical philosophies. The writer can invoke compassion and give you the courage and ability to step into others’ shoes and say “sorry.”
Burned Alive
Souad
It’s the tale of a woman who was burned alive by her own brother in the name of family honor because she fell in love with a neighbor. This book portrays the shocking and harsh reality of a male dominated society full of injustice and hypocrisies.
I Choose to Live
Sabine Dardenne
This is a story of a woman who was kidnapped by a maniac. He held her captive at his place for a hundred days. After she finally managed to escape, she came out with this compelling memoir at the age of 21. She talks about how she was kidnapped, what was the phase of captivity like and how she escaped from the clutches of the kidnapper.
Pink Saris
Kim Longinotto
Pink Saris
Kim Longinotto
It’s actually a documentary. Women can fight their own battles and Gulabi Gang is an excellent example of that. It’s a band of women who have taken it upon their shoulders to make things better.
Jataka Tales
This is a collection of different stories of Buddhism. Bodhisattva is born as a white elephant and is living in a forest. A poor man wanders into the same forest and gets lost. The elephant helps him out but asks him not to tell anybody about his existence. The man, upon returning, starts talking about his experiences. Someone tells him that the tusk of that elephant could make him very rich. The man goes back and asks the elephant for his tusk. The compassionate elephant agrees to let him cut off a bit. But the man’s greed is not satiated. He keeps on asking for more until he cuts off the entire tusk.
As told to Nitya Pandey
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