DIPA MA - Life and Legacy of a Buddhist Master

Photo taken off : http://www.dipma.org

Author : Amy Schmidt : Licensed clinical social workere and cartoonist : 175pages

This is a very readable book, an inspiring account of life of a householder, who is believed to be spiritually englightened. Through interviews with those who have met Dip Ma, she has reconstructed a kind of biography, focussing on a life that exudes teachings. It is very well written, one is absorbed with the stories told, that one can easily forget that the author HAS NOT MET the teacher - DIP MA. DipP Ma died just 2 weeks before the author heard about her. What a miss. It is those "I wish I had ..." thing.

Nonethless, we, readers , should be grateful. Without this book, we may not even be acquainted with this great teacher. It served to remind us to strive and continue pray to meet our teacher, to be on the look out, the teacher could be admist us, but through our judgement of 0thers and expectation, we may hve miss them. Maybe, the beggar looking, frail old person down the street, mumbling, always laughing to himself, could be the englightened beings. But because of our own filter len, we can't see it. Treat all being with respect.

What is amazing is that this lady is at the same time a householder, a grandmother, a mother. Just like us, except we have thousand of excuses ready, why we don't hve the time to practise goodness. Dip Ma has boiled it down to such a simple instruction - just watch and be aware of what you are doing now, and just for a moment - that we would have no excuse left, except to face it.

She is not those castle in the air academic, ivory tower that can argue with all the rhetorics, with tons of historical facts to support their arguement. And at the end of the day, in discussion with an academic, it could evolve into who is right or wrong. Who is cleverer? She doesn't read nor write much. Her wisdom came from practise.

Dip Ma is inspiring, because, she has been there, all the suffering - match marred at 12, hubsand left oversea 1 week after marriage ceremony, confinement to her in-law's house, joined her husband in Burma, but were asked to leave by the Bumese government in 1967, forced repairation of foreigners, unable to concieve initially, later had own kids, but lost 2 childs, husband. Meeting her would be like meeting a doctor, who has experienced all the illness - cancer, HIV, etc etc and able to empathise and treat us.

Reluctantly, she once demonstrated her ability to transcend human feats by her teacher. A professor set up an experiment, whereby she was to be interviewed by the professor in his office 10 miles away. The professor posted a trusted graduate student in Dip Ma room, to ensure she doesn't leave. Reportedly, at the same time she was able to appear in the professor office for the interview. However, repeatedly the teacher has instructed that these abilities are not the end goals and one should just move on and not be awed or stucked (or attached to ) the power.

She treatedpeople - quietly, calmly, gently, with kindess and respect, out of everyone's welfare and not out of anger or simple desir for personal comfort.

All is not lost, for those who are inspired and have not met Dip Ma. The author has left some suggestion on how we can invoke Dip Ma presence and help, if we choose.

May this book inspire you or start you on your journey to peace, harmony and happiness.