13/08/2026
Good Afternoon Friends, Yesterday, I went back into the forest.
As some of you may remember, I live about a 20, minute walk from the forest boundary, perhaps around 2 kilometers away.
The rain has finally stopped, and everything is slowly returning to normal. Perhaps this is just a little rest that nature has given everyone a short break to let people dry their clothes, clear their houses, and breathe again in outside.
While walking into the forest, I had to stop from time to time to remove fallen branches from the small walking path. This path is used by villagers who go into the forest to collect wild honey, sometimes firewood, fruits, and other things they need.
I am not saying there are no poachers. Of course, there are some but in this area, they are limited. Perhaps my presence has something to do with that. Many of their children are my friends, and because of that, they may think twice before doing something harmful to the forest.
Some time ago, a nature activist came to our village for an awareness program. She said, โThe forest belongs to the animals, not to humans.โ
Then one brave little boy said, โbut we are animals too. We lived in the jungle before this village and these towns were built. So we also belong to the forest.โ
She looked a little shy and upset after hearing that.
In some ways, I agree with that child.
Not because I live near the forest, but because perhaps we sometimes forget that human beings are also part of nature. We did not come from somewhere outside of it.
Today, I came back to the village for my alms round, and people were not expecting me. As soon as they saw me, everyone seemed to hurry towards their houses, wanting to bring something to offer.
I walked quite quickly because I did not want to make them worry or feel that they had to prepare something especially for me.
An elderly lady, almost like a mother to me, was waiting as usual. She smiled when she saw me, wished me good morning, and offered me some bananas.
I thanked her and continued on my way.
When I reached the temple, one of my friends came to see me. He was smiling from a distance, and I know that smile. He had something special to tell me.
โThis page has reached one thousand followers!โ
โOhโฆโ
Only then did I realize that we had reached a small milestone.
I told him it was a good thing, of course but then I said something to him.
โWe have 1,000 followers, but perhaps most of them are not actual followersโ
He looked at me, confused.
So I explained.
Many people follow Buddhist pages because they love Buddhism, its teachings, and this beautiful culture. They follow more and more Buddhist pages. They subscribe to more and more YouTube channels but very rarely do they actually stop, read something carefully, reflect on it, or put it into practice.
Some will like a post. Some will comment. Some will share it but only a very small number will actually take these simple teachings and bring them into their daily lives.
So perhaps our target should not be to keep increasing the number of followers. Our aim should be to reach that small percentage of people who are truly ready to practice even in very simple ways and walk this beautiful path through their own lives.
After some time, my friend left. I stayed at the temple for a while, writing my book and enjoying the quietness of the afternoon. I plan to leave the temple in the evening.
Until next time, walk gently, speak kindly, and keep your heart open. Peace begins with each small step we take. From the silence of the forest, may you carry with you the peace that the busy world often forgets.
With Metta,
FM
