“In the same way we human beings have to let go of our pride, our separateness, and not bother about our individual identity. If we immerse ourselves in the process of life, and trust the process of the universe, and identify ourselves with others, we can become the tree of a thousand branches and a million plums.”

Water is so powerful, so overwhelming, yet the duck swims right through it, and water just rolls off its back. So we can learn from the duck how to swim in the sea of sorrow and remain joyful.”

The lotus is our guru, our teacher. It shows us a way to accept sorrow and serenity simultaneously.

I enjoy the work, too. For me it is meditation. Meditation is not just chanting mantras or sitting quietly in the lotus position and counting the breath. Sewing, cooking, washing, cleaning, every activity done with a sense of the sacred is meditation. Do you want to take away my meditation? When I am busy with my needle I am peaceful, everything is

“Should I pay attention to my feet touching the earth or to my breathing? I can’t do them both at once, can I?” I remember asking Mother. “Yes, you can. Don’t think about breathing, nor think about walking. Meditation is not about thinking on these things. Just let it happen.” Only much later did I understand what she was saying: that meditation is

For every Jain devotee it is an essential practice to begin the day with the darshan of a holy person or sacred image in a temple. It must be done before breakfast, before work, before any form of activity, so that the spirit of the encounter can permeate the day and every activity.

Dharma is to be good rather than do good.

“Focus on the moment between the in-breath and the out-breath. Observe the subtle point when you are neither inhaling nor exhaling. No need to prolong that moment, no need to hold the breath. Just observe.”

We can make the sorrow and suffering into a compost out of which the roses of joy can grow. This is a continuous quest, and we have to keep sowing the rose seeds and not just get overwhelmed by compost.