When I was at Boudanath Stupa yesterday sitting in a somewhat quiet corner watching everyone circumambulate the stupa, I noticed two young boys seated at an entrance to an alley way. What I saw then was extremely touching. One was severely disfigured from burns it looked like it. His friend seated next to him opened a packet of chips and started feeding his friend and himself. He would put a chip in his mouth then reach into the bag and feed his friend. Once they were done with the chips he stuck a straw in a packet of juice and sipped from it. Then he reached out to his friend and held the packet as his friend sipped from it. Not for a moment did he treat his friend any different. It was a very good lesson in treating everyone the same. My beloved guru, Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, would often say “Treat everyone the same. See Siva in all!”
