Excerpts from A.S. Balasooriya’s recent book ‘Lotus Blossoms on Calm Water’ (From Page 20 to 25)

(Language : Sinhala :Published by Wijesooriya Grantha Kendraya. 812 Maradana Road, Punchi Borella, Sri Lanka.The (Transalation by the author).

On Creative Living

Let me tell you my inner response when I see people displaying their various creative talents on stages.
Aren’t their creativity separate from the actual living? . When creativity in separated from life it becomes illusion. In fact illusion not creativity., but something quite contradictory.. It deceives life and it becomes an easy escape form Truth.
I wonder , if people care to use their creativity to enhance the meaning and beauty of life, in their daily behavior and relationships, the way they perceive the world, what a beautiful world will come out of it.

* * * * * * * The The Creator and the Created
One day the created happed to meet the creator. Over whelmed by sheer joy he uttered :‘Thou dwellth in me from the beginning ‘The creator responded:: ‘‘Thou too dwellth in me from the beginning’
In great rejoice they embraced each other and uttered: ‘We are not two entities but only one’! Only one!”.

* * * * * * * * * *
My light is enough for me

A fire fly while wandering through out the night happed to witness the rising sun. With awe and wonder it entered into the dark cave where it used to dwell in the day time.
Unable to restrain the wonder it whispered to its friend and said:’ I saw the Sun . What a glori0ousd thing? It sheds its light on the whole of the earth. You must see it . I say you must !
His friend responded indifferently : ‘My light is enough for me.’

Most of us also live with the same kind of self complacency.with attitudes like ‘ My knowledge is enough!’ ‘The way I live is good for me.’ ‘There is nothing to seek more in life’

* * * * * * * * * *

Old woman in the young girl

Friend,
If you can see the old woman in a young girl
Surely you will also be able to see
The young girl in an old woman.

* * * * * * * * * *

In Love with Life

Stepping out of the house in that early bright and serene morning I saw the Sun coming out
of the golden clouds.What a glorious and majestic view! I was elated with joy. Unable to constrain the overflowing joy I exclaimed:
''Life is so beautiful! So marvelous!
I am madly in love with it.!’

* * * * * * * * * *

Be Open to the Universe

When the Living Beauty of the Universe flows within you will begin to bloom like a rose in this ugly world. When the Universal Love flows within you will become a sprinkling cool fountain in the world aflame by the fire of hatred..
When the Peace of the Heavens flows within you will be as quiet as a still water in the this restless world.
When the Universal Wisdom flows within you will glow like a flame in a in this dark world of ignorance.
Therefore let go the narrow self with its problems and be open to the Universal Self.

* * * * * * * * * *

You have made me so rich !

Oh! The God of the Universe,
You have made so rich
By emptying my inner self
From all I that I have gathered.

* * * * * * * * * *
Total Living

Life has two dimensions as two gears as in a motor car.
The first dimension is the psychological In this realm the thoughts are predominant. The thoughts functions as reactors to all the challenges- to what you see , hear and feel.
You experiences life through thoughts.
Here living is confined to the response of the thought process.
The second dimension is realm the pure living.
It is beyond the realm of thoughts. There is time here as past, or future.
The emotions the mind produces as sorrow, happiness cannot touch its ever pure energy. There you are face to face with the living reality of here and now. Living is total and holistic.
There is no person here but only Life.
Man who has not discovered this dimension of pure living is like
an one eyed person. His eyes see only conflicts side of life.
He struggles for living but never really lives.
In the second dimension you know how to live. Life is all the time fulfilling itself.
One can live with utmost peace only in this realm. In fact it is the source of peace on earth.
However you need for successful living the efficient functioning
in both the dimensions.

As long as the second dimension is neglected or lies
undiscovered life tends to be a sorrowful affair.

* * * * * * * * * *
Joy of Completion.

All artists appreciate their work after it is done.
Now can we too, learn to appreciate and feel satisfied our daily works on their completion.
I call it the joy of completion.
This is something that any earnest person has to learn.

Many a people haven’t learned this joy and therefore simply pass it away not knowingly. How satisfactory a day can be if we reflect back it at the end and feel good ?
How fulfilling a work can be if we reflect at the its completion?

The tragedy with us that we live with a mind
which never has learnt to feel content with whatever we achieve.
Our mind is in a mad rat race always wanting aspiring, desiring and hoping.
Have you observed that when you act or work most of the time you are half attended. The best part of the mind is somewhere lost in dreaming.
The more you act or work with complete attention the more you experience the joy of completion at the end.
We have to learn to feel satisfied at the end of every bit of work or act we do.
We as human beings need the sense of achievement at the latter days of our life.
Other wise how can we face death with a sense of completion ?
The holistic life satisfaction arises
from the abundant experiences of the joy of completions in our life.

* * * * * * * * *

Learning to enjoy working

The fruit of labor is sweet.. True enough!
But we have to learn to enjoy working rather than looking forward to enjoy its fruit at the end.
Why? Because a greater part of our life is working.
If we hate work, we in fact hate life itself. I do not demean the achievement- the fruit of labour.
But the fact is that the joy of achievement is so short.
The human nature is such that once we fulfill a need the value given get diminished.
Then we focus on another goal.
The challenge of life is in the process of living.
Can we learn to enjoy the moments of struggle in overcoming difficulties, completely flowing with the action.?
Let the hero within you emerge out.

* * * * * * * * * *