Guwahati, Oct. 25 -- They often fade quietly, through words left unsaid, questions we hesitate to ask, and misunderstandings allowed to settle the heart. Two people who once shared everything may gradually become strangers, not because they stop caring, but because they do not have the courage to speak about what is hurting them.

We often mistake silence for letting go or peace. We swallow our hurt and tell ourselves that time will heal. It does sometimes, but time merely allows a small misunderstanding to grow into a high wall that neither person know how to cross.

This is where the Buddhist festival of Pavarana (polite reprimand) offers us something to think about-not just within the monastery, but in our own lives, too.

Observed by ...