The Great Way is not difficult

The Great Way is not difficult 
for those who have no preferences. 
When love and hate are both absent 
everything becomes clear and undisguised. 
Make the smallest distinction, however 
and heaven and earth are set infinitely apart. 
If you wish to see the truth 
then hold no opinions for or against anything. 
To set up what you like against what you dislike 
is the disease of the mind. 
When the deep meaning of things is not understood 
the minds essential peace is disturbed to no avail. 

The Way is perfect like vast space 
where nothing is lacking and nothing is in excess. 
Indeed, it is due to our choosing to accept or reject 
that we do not see the true nature of things. 
Live neither in the entanglements of outer things, 
nor in inner feelings of emptiness. 
Be serene in the oneness of things 
and such erroneous views will disappear by themselves. 
When you try to stop activity to achieve passivity 
your very effort fills you with activity. 
As long as you remain in one extreme or the other 
you will never know Oneness. 

- Sengstan 

translated from the Chinese

Excuse and explanation, two sides of the same coin!

First of all please accept our heartiest apology for being away for such a long time. We have been busy in trying to find a way to get any kind of help from our local authority to bring progress and more like minded members in our group. We are still in the process of talking to the art department of the central library and hoping that by next week there would be some news that could bring a brighter smile to our face than the sun this week:))

The Ilford central library is celebrating the Book and Media festival at the moment. We are waiting with baited breath to meet Monica Ali who is the author of the novel Bricklane. She is coming to discuss her next one called In the Garden on the 1st of May 2009 at the Wanstead Library.

We are proud to let you know that Hema Macherla is going to read from her debut novel The breeze from river Manzeera and answer questions along with her publisher Lynn Michell of Linnen Press who is giving a talk on the 30th of April 2009 at the Ilford central Library as part of the Redbridge Book and Media Festival.

Its said that a brilliant writer is found only when he/she comes out of his/her shell and meets and greets people who could help them to be known to the world. We at Vaani believe in it and hope to arrange for a proper venue soon so that it could be a meeting ground for all of us and to take us to places where only few reach, our space on the sky!

Well nothing works if we don't still find time to do what's our job and that's writing, so here's wishing everyone Happy writing.

By The Editor