Bizah asked the Master a question he had been carrying for some time: “Master, should we give or not give to beggars?”

“Leela,” the Master said, “How would you answer this?”

“I always give what I can to beggars. I can’t pass by one and not give if I still have a coin in my pocket.”

“Tonga,” the Master said, “How would you answer this question?”

“I never give to beggars. They need to find ways to help themselves. Giving to them only encourages reliance on others and laziness.”

The Master began speaking. “When you spontaneously laugh, are you thinking?” he asked.

“No,” Leela responded.

“When you experience deep peace, are you thinking?” the Master asked.

“No,” replied Akina.

“When you are overtaken with love for someone, are you thinking?” the Master asked.

“No,” responded Tonga.

“When you are in a state of awe, are you thinking?” the Master asked.

“No,” Bizah said.

The Master then fell silent and his students joined him in meditation.

Leela’s birthday was coming up, and Bizah decided to make her a hat – with his very own hands –with the help of a pattern he bought at the materials and sewing needs store, of course.

He left himself plenty of time to complete it: two weeks.

When he told Akina what he was planning for Leela’s gift, Akina asked, “Bizah, have you ever sewn anything from a pattern before?”

“Actually no,” responded Bizah. 

“Akina, you know how much I love animals, especially dogs,” said Bizah. “Well, the other day I was walking in the woods and met a man with his aged dog. The dog was limping and struggling along the path very slowly.  And I could see from all the lumps on his body that he was not well and likely suffering significantly. I stopped and said, ‘Your dog looks like he is quite old, sir.’”

“’Yes,’ responded the man. ‘He is almost 15 years old. He is not well, and this is his last walk.’