#(Buddha) 14 Sincerity Counts, Not The Offer Poem by Rajaram Ramachandran

Buddha, the enlightened one,
Knew the future of his own,
Besides the entire universe,
Through his inner eyes.

He went for alms, one day.
Two boys, on the way,
Were deeply absorbed
In making toys with mud.

Suddenly their attention
Turned in the direction
Of Buddha with his bowl,
Begging food with a smile.

They saw, his eyes shone
With love and compassion.
The eldest wished to offer him,
Something to please him.

Out of mud, a pie he made,
And the same, he dropped
In Buddha’s bowl as food,
That mixed up with real food.

The younger one with reverence
Watched Buddha’s smiling face.
Their offer, he accepted
As real food, with gratitude.

To the startled disciples
He explained, “Sincere offers,
Whatever they may be,
Should be taken willingly.”

“It’s the sincerity, that counts,
Not the offer that comes,
As the boy’s love came out
From the bottom of his heart.”

The elder boy took birth
As an Emperor on this earth
He was none other than
Ashoka, the great man.

The other younger one
Simultaneously was born
And became Ashoka’s wife,
Sharing a good part of his life

Buddha had his faith,
On the ultimate truth,
About the life linked
With this material world

(The noble truth, what he said))

“The first, existence of sorrow,
The second, cause of sorrow,
The third, cessation of sorrow,
The last, eightfold-path to end sorrow.”

(The eightfold path according to him)

“Right thinking,
Right views,
Right speech,
Right action,
Right way of life,
Right endeavor
Right mindfulness,
Right meditation.”