Author: Vladimir Pyatsky
Translation: Natasha Tsimbler
This book primarily tells the stories of ordinary people. Most of the characters in my stories were either far removed from spiritual pursuits or, at least during the periods described, lacked the qualities necessary to enter the Stream of the Teaching. Wandering through the varied dreams of their lives, they had forgotten that their minds were, in their essence, self-born deities.
Even though the mind may wander in Samsara, it remains a deity, always retaining the potential to awaken and achieve enlightenment. That is why people who perceive illusions as reality and overlook what is truly real, interest me – each in their own way.
—–
At one time, I held meditation classes in a community club, open to anyone who wished to attend. Among those who came were retirees who had no particular interest in meditation but were looking for some entertaining way to spend their time. Some of them liked to interject with witty remarks, causing certain technical difficulties in conducting the classes, but most would peacefully nod off, occasionally waking up to glance around at other attendees. I usually did not disturb the peace of such visitors, and we coexisted contentedly. However, one day, for reasons I can’t fully explain, I addressed one of the dozing retirees by name: “Berta!”
At the sound of her name, Berta straightened, and her gaze became clear. She sat there silently for a while, her expression newly calm and almost regal. Then, she spoke slowly and distinctly:
“Something unusual just happened to me”, she said. “The moment you called my name, it felt as if I suddenly saw everything more clearly. And I felt like I was in a place that was somehow very familiar to me.”
After that, Berta continued to sit calmly, fully present, listening to my lecture without the slightest trace of embarrassment under the curious glances of the other attendees. Then, gradually, her eyes grew sleepier, her back slumped into its usual posture, and by the end of the session, she was once again nodding off peacefully.
Author
Author: Vladimir Pyatsky
Translation: Natasha Tsimbler
This book primarily tells the stories of ordinary people. Most of the characters in my stories were either far removed from spiritual pursuits or, at least during the periods described, lacked the qualities necessary to enter the Stream of the Teaching. Wandering through the varied dreams of their lives, they had forgotten that their minds were, in their essence, self-born deities.
Even though the mind may wander in Samsara, it remains a deity, always retaining the potential to awaken and achieve enlightenment. That is why people who perceive illusions as reality and overlook what is truly real, interest me – each in their own way.
—–
At one time, I held meditation classes in a community club, open to anyone who wished to attend. Among those who came were retirees who had no particular interest in meditation but were looking for some entertaining way to spend their time. Some of them liked to interject with witty remarks, causing certain technical difficulties in conducting the classes, but most would peacefully nod off, occasionally waking up to glance around at other attendees. I usually did not disturb the peace of such visitors, and we coexisted contentedly. However, one day, for reasons I can’t fully explain, I addressed one of the dozing retirees by name: “Berta!”
At the sound of her name, Berta straightened, and her gaze became clear. She sat there silently for a while, her expression newly calm and almost regal. Then, she spoke slowly and distinctly:
“Something unusual just happened to me”, she said. “The moment you called my name, it felt as if I suddenly saw everything more clearly. And I felt like I was in a place that was somehow very familiar to me.”
After that, Berta continued to sit calmly, fully present, listening to my lecture without the slightest trace of embarrassment under the curious glances of the other attendees. Then, gradually, her eyes grew sleepier, her back slumped into its usual posture, and by the end of the session, she was once again nodding off peacefully.
