Saint Caṇḍa Ānanda

• About this book
• Early lifeThey say he had a miraculous birth.
• FoundlingLove doesn’t come from abandonment.
• Miraculous presenceThey say his eyes were bottomless.
• PurificationHe went into the forest and chanted for twenty days and nights.
• ApprenticeshipsHe learned from many teachers.
• Ashram visitHe said nothing and listened to everything.
• Simple lifeCaṇḍa Ānanda was not a recluse.
• Lilavati, his wifeThey lived a hard life together.
• HomeHe was more fortunate than the gods.
• RavanahathaHe made his own ravanahatha.
• MysticismHe was not a mystic.
• PrayerIt matters what you pray for.
• InstrumentsPeople are only instruments.
• Scriptures of Caṇḍa ĀnandaIf you’ve paid attention, you’ve already read them.
• MiraclesCaṇḍa Ānanda did not perform miracles.
• Crossing the GangesSensible advice saves lives.
• Icons and effigiesThey are not the gods themselves.
• DivinityOne should consider everything as divine.
• DemonsIt’s easier when you have something to blame.
• Temples, mosques, churchesDoes a god need a roof to flourish?
• Temples should be openTemples shouldn’t have doors.
• Organized religionsGo by what’s in your heart, not by the rules.
• AfterlifeDon’t wait until after you die to be like an angel.
• Unseen worldsUnseen worlds are only dreams.
• CollectorCaṇḍa Ānanda was a collector.
• TruthSometimes the truth can be misused.
• GivingDon’t give to the poor because you’re supposed to.
• Love and forgivenessLove is no excuse.
• RationalizationsThe problem isn’t the reasons.
• Self-worthNobody should think they are all that important.
• Slaves and mastersHonesty and love makes you a master, not having people work for you.
• PatronageAn emperor’s patronage is buying prestige.
• Being awakeEveryone knows the difference.
• HappinessDon’t try to be happy.
• CuresHe wasn’t a healer.
• TeachingCaṇḍa Ānanda took students into his fields.
• WorryA good farmer worries about everything.
• SnailsA real Buddhist wouldn’s squash snails.
• TransmissionTejas Kulkarni wrote down his words.
• FarmingFarming is a difficult career.
• InterdependenceEach plant comes from a seed, and the seed comes from everything.
• Fun with the truthCaṇḍa Ānanda would rather be a jester.
• ”You tell me”Usually people can answer their own questions.
• JīvātmanWhether you can be you is the question.
• Honest sweatYou need to give before you can get.
• DucksDucks seem almost as improbable as humans.
• RitualsYou can’t do all the rituals and live a normal life
• FastingAsceticism is really beside the point.
• BlameIf things go wrong, maybe nobody’s to blame.
• GraceLuck is an illusion.
• Castes and gendersIndividuals differ more than castes or genders.
• NondualityEverything is a manifestation of the same god.
• OmEverything is easy to see in the light.
• Meaning of lifeIt depends on why you ask the question.
• Deferring lifeJoy may arrive in an unexpected package.
• MagicA teacher doesn’t intend to fool you.
• Many pathsDon’t be in such a hurry that you have no time for living.
• PrideYou shouldn’t be so sure of yourself.
• Non-selfOver time everything about you has changed.
• ConsciousnessYou are a mirror; you are not a mirror.
• MaitrīDetesting others makes you detestable.
• SufferingEarthly life isn’t just suffering.
• EnemiesEven an enemy is a human being.
• ForebearanceThere’s a lot of bad stuff out there.
• TrinityThere’s probably a divine reason for triples.
• DharmaNobody wants to be fooled.
• KarmaIt shouldn’t be a way to avoid responsibility.
• Angels and devilsThey are our connection to the eternal.
• FallibilityHuman beings seem to be inherently foolish.
• RearrangementsEach person or god is a unique rearrangement.
• ManipulationThey don’t need to act with force if they can change the truth.
• DisagreementNobody has taught the theology of disagreement.
• StrangersBeing human is enough.
• SaviorTo expect a savior would be to refuse responsibility.
• HopeDoing good is more efficacious.
• DivisionsExcluding others doesn’t make you more worthy.
• DelusionPeople believe all sorts of things that aren’t true
• MisconceptionsThe universe doesn’t sprout from your small person.
• ModestyPeople like to imagine things.
• MythologyAfter a while, hagiography becomes mythology.