Reels...

"Craving is the source of suffering."

I've heard this phrase countless times, etched into my memory like a familiar tune playing on repeat. The first encounter took me back to the carefree days of my childhood, where school meant chasing friends during breaks and racing home to catch my favorite cartoons. It was in the tranquil monotony of a Monday morning Buddhism class that these words first reached my ears. Engrossed in discussions about life's intricacies, I found myself challenging my teacher's wisdom, questioning the very essence of offerings and their impact on nature. Though my inquiry momentarily dampened her spirits, she gracefully redirected me, urging me not to overanalyze.

The second encounter unfolded within the cozy confines of my childhood home, where I often found solace in the pages of Buddhist literature. As I delved deeper into the teachings, grappling with the concept of life's inherent suffering, a new question arose: if craving leads to suffering, could my longing for nirvana be another form of craving, destined to lead me down a path of anguish?

Then came the third encounter, unexpectedly surfacing amidst the mindless scroll of Instagram . Lost in a sea of inspirational quotes, my world suddenly narrowed to a single phrase illuminated on the screen: "Craving is the source of suffering." In that moment, the room fell silent, enveloped in darkness save for the glow of my phone screen and the pulsating beat of a reel  soundtrack.

 Umbrella 

It was a gloomy night or an evening, You can't say ,a thin cigarette was dancing  with the strong worn fingers , the smoke was embracing the fog and cuddling with the weeping willows that was shivering in the distance. The moon or the stars was merciless to  help not  the fading street lamp  that he was standing against .

He got up already soaked in the pain of his eyes and pain of the sky which kept on crying for days .Disgusted with his shoes all wet and muddy and the smell that bothered him , the wet hat that he forgot to shadow his head sat on his left arm tugged under his warmth .He looked forward no smile no cry , set his foot on the slippery cobel stones and started to walk forward.

Random faces all wet some chilled dare not to look at his face kept on passing and hurrying away for safety from the upcoming storm, umbrellas were flying away freely as if gods have granted it with free will .

He thought about it , an umbrella red long umbrella once owned by another and now flying towards another, broken,  might be , safe , who knows,  but it kept on flying with the wind following the wind , he now stopped looking back , his brows pouring a drop of ice and landing on  his burning cigarette.

He watched as many umbrellas floating away like angels flying with the wind so wild so free ,they must be thinking . He looked forward back at the path he was leading towards , the way up the hill with no insurance for his safety, he seemed as wrecked ship against  a storm , he pierced right through the the clouds that has hit the ground to gaze at  the hill gazing back at him.

He knew nothing, what he was doing or where he was going but he knew one thing , he wished one thing , he wished to be one , an umbrella .

_Nishitha Wanigasuriya _

Mind Trap

 Mind Trap 

There are two things that I don't understand. One is women. The other is math.

When I attempt a math problem, I usually understand the formula, the theories, and also the results. However, I ended up drawing in the math period, not just because I'm an artist but also because I'm not a mathematician either. I don't know why I don't like math. Well, I don't actually know if I do like math either. I think I might be actually having difficulty understanding the formula and theories after all. Maybe I'm not using them right, Maybe I never used them in the first place.

I think algebra is quite easy. I remember scoring eighties when I was a kid. I also remember most of the time ending up with thirties or even failing.

What do you think is the point of maths? Is it producing an accurate answer to an accurate question, or is it understanding the questions and knowing the answers don't make a difference or perhaps may be just understanding the source of the questions?

When I calculate the answer by examining the question, the answers are never wrong. The only thing is that the answers only existed in my mind and never on paper. If I have ever written down the answer, it has always been blinded by an X or a Y .

The best part is that it's funny, you know? When I see myself failing the same question, it's a pity that I already know the answer and even the formula but ended up understanding the question and falling for the question itself .

Whenever I meet a friend or a teacher to help me out with these mind traps, I always say, "There are two things that I don't understand. One is women, and the other is math."

-Nishitha Wanigasuriya-