Did you ever think something when you were younger and then, when you got to be a little older, find out it wasn’t that way at all?

For example, when I was in first grade, I used to think that children in the third grade were practically grownups! But then when I got to be in the third grade, I didn’t feel grown-up at all. But then I thought the sixth-graders were really old!

For some reason it’s fun to tell other people about your "used-to-thinks." I’ve been collecting "used to thinks" for quite a few years now — some of them are my own, some of them my children told me, and some of them other children told me. Here are some of the "used-to-thinks" I have collected. I wonder whether you used to think any of these things?

I used to think that we lived on the inside of the world ball, not on the outside.

I used to think that when you shut off the TV the program would stop, and then, when you turned it on again, it would begin right where it was when you stopped it.

I used to think you grew bigger on your birthday.

I used to think that when people said that Christmas was just around the corner, the people around the corner were having Christmas.

I used to think that when there were double lines down the middle of the highway, motorcycles were supposed to go in the space between them.

I used to think that ladies who wore high heels had heels on their feet that went down inside their shoes.

I used to think that after you’ve gotten as old as you are going to get, you begin to get younger again. When someone told me how old they were, I wondered whether they were on their way to older or younger.

Children are not the only ones who have "used-to-thinks." Almost every day, now that I have grown up, I find out something that makes something that I thought I knew into a "used-to-think." (Share some grown-up "used-to-thinks" of your own.)

Do any of you have "used-to-thinks?" (Pause while others in the group share their "used-to-thinks.")

But it isn’t just grownups and children who have "used-to-thinks." All the people who are alive together at one time think certain things that people living after them find out aren’t true at all.

The people who lived in Greece several thousand years ago used to think that it was the trees shaking that made the wind blow.

People used to think that tomatoes were poisonous.

The people who lived when my grandmother did used to think that it was positively dangerous to go as fast as fifteen miles an hour. They used to think that there never could be a flying machine — it would fall out of the air.

People used to think that we would never, never get to the moon, or to Mars, or away from our earth at all.

I guess that as long as there are people in the world there will be "used-to-thinks," because there is always going to be more to find out, and there are always going to be new things to find out about what we think we already know. Sometimes, as we get older, we understand things that we couldn’t have understood before — just because we have grown some and have had more experiences. Every time you find yourself with a new "used-to-think," you ought to feel pretty good, because it means you’ve learned something that you didn’t know before.

Four hundred years ago, there was a little country tucked in among the high mountains of Hungary called Transylvania, or "The Land Through the Forest." The King of that land was John Sigismund. Crowned king when he was only 21 years old, he was already brave and thoughtful–and he needed to be, for he and his little country had some big troubles.

King John’s father died of an illness when King John was a baby, so he had to make his way without a father to guide him. As a boy, John was never very strong or healthy; he often felt dizzy and weak or had a stomach ache, but he did not give in to these feelings any more than he could help. He learned to play all the sports that other young men at his court enjoyed, such as sword fighting, horseback riding and deer bunting in the forest.

King John’s country was right next to two large, powerful countries that fought with each other a lot. King John worried because he did not want his little country to get into their quarrel. But even worse than that–King John’s own people often fought each other in "The Land Through the Forest." They fought because they belonged to four different kinds of churches. The churches were Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Calvinist, and Unitarian. The people in each church said, "Our ideas about God, and Jesus, and what a church should be like, are the only true ideas." "Everyone," they thought, "should believe what our church tells them to believe." People only wanted to believe in the teachings of their own church.

Sometimes the people fought with words– arguing and saying bad things about each other, whether they were true or not. Other times, the church that had members in government fought by taking people’s jobs away, or people’s money. Often people were put in prison or even put to death. When times were at their worst, people even tried to kill King John himself, because they hoped a new king might make their church the one, true church. Actually, this kind of fighting about churches happened in a lot of countries in that part of the world. King John thought for a long time and then he made a decision. He called the best speaker from each church to come to a place called Torda for a debate instead of a fight. A debate is an argument with rules: each person takes a turn to speak about his or her ideas. There is no quarreling because only one person speaks at a time. A judge decides who has the best ideas. The debate began each day at five in the morning and it lasted 10 days.

The speaker from the Unitarian church was a man named Francis David. He argued that no one has the right to force people to believe anything about God.

After 10 days, King John ordered the debate to end. But he did not announce a winner; he did not say that any of the four churches was the best. This probably surprised many people. King John did listen to the argument of Francis David though, that no one should be forced to believe in any religion but should be able to choose for himself or herself. Then, King John made an important announcement that was called the Edict of Torda. The edict told the people that from that time on, his subjects could debate about their ideas of religion, but they must not fight, punish, or kill each other about religion. Every church and every person would be free to follow their own beliefs. This was a new and strange idea for those times, and many people were angry with King John for this law, but he stuck to it. Unitarians especially remember King John, because his law made it safe for them to be Unitarians.

These hand-made bracelets will help you to remember some of the good things you can pray about. They’re easy and fun to create and make cool family gifts!

One Saturday night we invited all the families in our church to come to the church hall and make prayer beads. We gave everyone four lumps of polymer clay (we used Sculpy but you could use other brands like Fimo) in four different colors:

We used red, a happy color, for the thankful bead, because we are Thankful for things that make us feel happy and loved.

We used yellow, a bright color, for the Hopeful bead, because things look bright and sunny when we’re Hopeful.

We used green, the color of growing things, for the improve bead, because when we Improve, we grow.

We used Blue, the color that people use to describe a sad mood, for the Sorry bead because we are sad or blue when we’re Sorry.

We also had clay in lots of other colors so people could decorate their beads with stripes, dots, stars, or whatever. Finally, everyone poked a small hole down the middle of each bead with a thin wooden skewer so we could put string through the beads. These hand-made bracelets will help you to remember some of the good things you can pray about. They’re easy & fun to create and make cool family gifts!

After we had all made our beads, we baked them according to the directions, put silk cord through them, and tied them around our wrists for prayer bracelets. I’11 bet there were lots of bedtime prayers that night!

Buddha taught that both good things and hard things come to every person. Both are part of life. But if you choose to follow Buddhist law (called Dharma, or the Middle Way) you will live a good life and find peace, perhaps even reach Nirvana. You don’t need priests to pray for you, you don’t need to make sacrifices to the Gods, and you don’t have to be of a certain caste in society. Buddha taught that all people can avoid the extremes of behavior (selfish pleasure or self-denial) which lead to suffering, and follow the Middle Way to a good life. The Buddhist law is comprised of the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path.

Four Noble Truths (the causes of suffering):
1. Suffering consists of disease, old age, and death; separation from those we love; craving what we cannot obtain; hating what we cannot avoid.
2. All suffering is caused by desire and the attempt to satisfy our desires.
3. Therefore, suffering can be overcome by ceasing to desire.
4. The way to end desire is to follow the Eightfold Path.

The Eightfold Path (the solution):
This is a series of eight stages that lead to the end of desire. The first few can be achieved in everyday life, the later ones require more concentration and effort.

1. Right opinion: understanding the Four Noble Truths
2. Right intentions: a person decides to set his/her life on the
3. Right speech: not lying, criticizing unfairly, using harsh language, or gossiping
4. Right conduct: no kllling, stealing, cruelty or lustful activities
5. Right livelihood: earn a living in a way that doesn’t harm any living thing
6. Right effort: conquer all evil thoughts, try to have only good thoughts
7. Right mindfulness: becoming intensely aware of all states of body, mind, feelings
8. Right concentration: deep meditation that leads to higher state of consciousness

A person who practices right concentration will come to the enlightenment that Siddhartha attained.

When, if ever, is it right to go to war?

ACCORDING TO A HINDU STORY, long ago there came a time when the people became jealous and deceitful, and the leaders oppressive. Priests became insincere and some stole the gifts brought to the gods. Kings were tyrannical. Tribes and nations were continually warring one against another.

Then Brahman, the Eternal One, decided to give mankind a special helper, a human Savior who would live among men and protect and guide them and teach them the way to live. And so it happened that one day a divine child was born. At his birth, angels appeared, singing praises. They bowed down before him and named him Krishna, the Savior of Mankind, the incarnation of the Eternal Brahman.

Now Krishna of course was a human being as well as a god. He was born in India where at that time everyone belonged to a "caste." His was the Warrior caste, which meant that his dharma or destiny must be fulfilled in war and struggle.

But as a child Krishna did not seem to be a warlike person. He lived happily with other children, wandering with them over the fields and woods, and helping to tend the cows. He learned to play the flute, and often played it while his young friends danced together. A strong boy, he soon became a favorite among his friends, perhaps because he always seemed to use his strength to protect the weak. Many tales have been told of Krishna’s gallant and miraculous deeds during his youth. Always these were done in order to protect some innocent sufferer, or to save some person or animal in trouble.

As Krishna grew older, he left his happy life as a cowherd, became a student of the sacred books, and gave himself to a life of simple living and fasting. His teacher was amazed at his brilliance and devotion.

After finishing his studies, Krishna became the champion of one tribe or another which had been unjustly treated. Always his championship was of the weak against the strong and the evil. If happiness were to be spread among all the people, cruelty had to be destroyed even if war must be waged to achieve this. Thus Krishna, born into the Warrior caste, was true to his dharma.

As the years passed, the warring groups in India grew stronger and larger and the battles became fiercer until India became divided into two warring nations. One nation was ruled by the evil king, Duryodhana; the other, by the good king, Yudisthira, long remembered for his justice and good-will. Finally, the selfish and ambitious King Duryodhana banished the good King Yudisthira and his people into exile and refused to allow even five villages to be shared with them.

After Yudisthira had tried unsuccessfully for thirteen years to settle the matter without a major battle, preparations were begun for an all-out war between the armies of the two kings. Both sides came to Krishna asking for his help. Duryodhana, the evil king, asked Krishna for armies. Arjuna, the brother of the good King Yudisthira, asked not for armies but for Krishna alone, saying "Friendship is the strongest weapon in the world. I want you for my charioteer." Both kings were granted their wishes, and Duryodhana chuckled at Arjuna’s foolishness.

Not long after, in the red dawning of the morning, the two great armies faced each other on the sandy plains of Kurukshetra. The evil king was in his chariot at the head of one great army, now even larger than before. Arjuna, brother of the good king, was in his chariot at the head of the other army. But with Arjuna stood the god Krishna as charioteer.

Arjuna looked about and his heart grew faint, for he saw the faces of fathers and grandfathers, teachers, uncles, sons, brothers, grandsons, and friends. He spoke despairingly to Krishna:

"O Krishna, Krishnal Now that I look on all my own kins-n;en, arrayed for battle, my limbs have become weak, my mouth, is parching, my body trembles, my hair stands upright, my skin seems to be burning! My bow slips from my hand and my brain is whirling round and round. What can I hope for from this killing of kinsmen? What do I want with victory and empire?"

"Krishna, hearing the prayers of all men,
Tell me how we can hope to be happy
Slaying the sons of Dritarashtra?"
Evil they may be, worst of the wicked,
Yet if we kill them, our sin is greater.

* * * * * * * * * * *

"What is the crime I am planning, O Krishna?
Murder most hateful, murder of brothers!
Am I indeed so greedy for greatness?
Rather let the evil children come with their weapons
Against me in battle!
I shall not struggle, I shall not strike them.
Now let them kill me, that will be better."

Having spoken so feelingly, Arjuna threw aside his arrows and his bow. He stood as if already mortally wounded, his heart torn with sorrow.

Krishna was silent for a while. Arjuna tried once more to speak. ‘Which is worst," he cried out again, "to win this war, or to lose it? I scarcely know. My mind gropes about in dark-ness. I cannot see where my duty lies. Krishna, I beg you to tell me frankly and clearly what I ought to do. I am your disciple. I have put myself into your hands. Show me the way."

Krishna then answered: "Your words are wise, Arjuna, but your sorrow is for nothing. The truly wise person mourns neither for the living nor for the dead. Bodies are said to die, but THAT which possesses the body is eternal. It cannot be limited or destroyed. The real life within each one cannot be wounded by weapons, nor burned by fire, nor dried by the wind, nor wet by water. It is deathless and birth-less. It is indestructible. Therefore, never mourn for anyone.

"And besides, Arjuna, you were’ born in the warring caste. Fighting to protect, fighting to save others from oppression, is your duty. If you turn aside from this righteous way, you will be a sinner.

"Die, Arjuna, and you win Nirvana. Conquer and you enjoy the earth. Stand up now, and resolve to fight. Realize that pleasure and pain, gain and loss, victory and defeat are one and the same; then go into battle."

So Arjuna, the disciple of Krishna, rose and obeyed. A conch was blown and the blare of a thousand conches responded. Arrows shot through the air like meteors; the sun itself was shrouded in the dust of the battle. Horses leaped; men ran at each other with swords. Hundreds, even thou-sands, were wounded or slain.

With each new dawn, the battle was begun afresh, day after day for eighteen days. Finally, the evil King Duryodhana was slain, and Arjuna and Yudisthira were the victors.

In the early dawn after the battle, the plain was grim with the bloody burden of thousands of dead. It was a weary sight for miles around. Weeping wives searched for the bodies of their lost husbands. Mothers mourned over their dead sons. An old grandmother sat on the ground and wept. UO shame on prowess" she cried. "Shame on courage! Shame on war that leaves weeping women to bear the burden of grief"

In spite of all this, because of the terrible war and the courageous victory of Arjuna, there was finally peace in the land. Yudisthira was crowned king of both nations. He reigned as undisputed ruler of all India for thirty-six years and in his time there was justice throughout the kingdom. The people saw in Yudisthira the ideals which Lord Krishna had taught them to attain.

"He did not hate any living creature.
He was friendly and compassionate to all,
He freed himself of the delusion of "Me" and "Mine,"
He accepted pleasure and pain with tranquility,
He was forgiving, ever contented, self-controlled,
He was neither vain nor anxious about the result of his actions."

(Based on extracts from an unpublished manuscript, "India’s Story of Krishna," by Sophia Lyon Fahs. This was based in turn on Bhagavad-Gita: The Song of God, translated by Swami Prabhavananda and Christopher Isherwood (Hollywood, California: Vedanta Society of Southern California, latest edition 1972). Extracts are quoted with the permission of the Vedanta Society of Southern California.)