Nana, Nani, Buddha and Meditation......

When I was a young girl, being stubborn and obstinate, Nani, my grandmother, told me - When a tree encounters wind, it bends, it knows that the wind is not going to make its home over it but is only passing, so the wise tree lets the wind have his way. But sometimes there is a foolish tree, who thinks it is big and strong and when the wind blows over it, this tree, so full of itself, puts all its effort and energy to block the wind, and in the end, the silly thing, it is blown away......
And then she gave me a big hug to melt away all my resistance. She always knew what to do. Smart cookie, this Nani of mine.

One day I came home from school in tears, hurt by a mean thing a friend had said to me during the day and my grandfather, Nana, called me to his side and told me - One day, Buddha was sitting under a tree and doing his meditation. A group of boys had just finished partying and were on their way home. They came across this half naked man sitting silently with his eyes closed under a tree. So, they asked him "Hey there, what in the blazes are you doing?". Buddha didn't reply. That made them angry because they wanted an answer. One of them began to insult, raising his voice higher and higher. Suddenly, Buddha opened his eyes and smiled. The boy shouted "Whats wrong with you, I gave you so many insults and abuses and you're smiling?" And Buddha told him very gently "My son, you gave but I didn't take".......

My grandfather knew that the first thing I would say would be - What is meditation? Teach me how to do it, please.......and so he did. Thats how he always got me hooked - Very clever, my Nana.

My Nana and Nani are probably going to pop up time to time on this blog, with their simple stories and wise lessons. They are my first Teachers. I lived with them for more than 10 years as I was growing up into an adolescent.
He is 96 now and she is 92, they live with their children and grandchildren in India.
I spent some time with them in March. I would love to see them, be with them right now, but its not possible......so I write about them here, sharing with all of you the precious pearls they bestowed on me. This way, I feel I'm making them a part of this journey to my integral health. And I feel them so close to me..........