A message from Jaipur...in Rajasthan...
It's a hot day and I'm sitting in a sweltering internet place, one computer, no fan in Jaipur in Rasjasthan. We were headed for Dehli yesterday but there were major terrorist bombings there and so to avoid hassle with searches, roadblocks and more trouble, we switched courses and drove here to Jaipur.
When I wrote last we were in Varanasi and on our way to Bodh Gaya. On Oct 17 we went to the train station in Mughal Sarai outside Varanasi. The train station was a wild chaotic place. We arrived early and were directed from one platform to another. As we came down a ramp to our platform the people in front of me parted and flowed around both sides of an old man lying on the platform. As we went by I could see he was totally emaciated, shaking and his eyes were wide open but unfocused on what was around him. As we passed I found I wanted to look away but looked at him to see what was there in front of me. He was dying. No-one seemed to pay any mind to him or to even alter their behavior at all. We were carried past him and onto the platform. Later all 5 of us agreed it was quite clear he was dying. This is something I am not used to seeing. And so I felt deeply affected by him.
There is a part that wants to say this is unacceptable or wrong. There is another part that feels it is also part of what it means to live in India. Many people were living on the station, clothes hanging under stairways, clothes tucked in corners, a few pots here and there, a few belongings. A man who appeared to have either mental damage or mental illness came to sit beside Terence. His feet were caloused and filled with cuts, his hands cut and his behavior erratic. I felt my own fear arise as to how to deal with him. In the end, he sat by us for an hour. At one point Carol said "Namaste" and put her hands together in salute to him and he returned the gesture. Many young children were begging. Three little ones especially staked us out and kept after us for money. Several people had said not to give beggars money as it may go into alcohol or drugs but I find no rule works well. What a surprise in India!! And so I find myself of necessity saying no to many and sometimes saying yes without there being more reason than I just respond differently at different times and in different situations.
Again it is hard to have young girls touching your hands and feet and asking over and over and over again for money. Sometimes nothing will stop them except just walking away. We took the second class train to Gaya near Bodhgaya. The train was full of people on longer journeys, sleeping, eating, visiting, laughing, playing with children. People constantly coming by with chocolate, tomato soup, and chai for sale. At Bodh Gaya we found a wonderful place to stay in a Hotel run by Tibetans. It was the full moon, and so we created our own ceremony, offerings and reflections. We were in Bodh Gaya five or six days and each morning we would go to the grounds where the main temple and the Bodhi Tree are to meditate and offer prayers. The site is wonderful, filled with Buddhist pilgrims, monks and nuns from all over the world.
One night Duncan, Terence, Carol and I received permission to stay on site all night. There were several others who also chose to stay on site, mostly monks and nuns. It was wonderful to be there, to contemplate the teachings of the Buddha and to see the devotion and sincereity from people from all over the world. One day, on the grounds, I watched an elderly, asian woman, doing a very slow walking meditation, while at the same time a small white stork-like bird imitated her steps on the grass.
Slow Walk
In the shadow of the Bodhi tree
Where the Buddha walked
aged Asian pilgrim-woman
Dressed all in white
Slowly places one foot, and then the other
Ever so slowly
A long-beaked, long-legged bird
Also all in white
Slowly places one foot, and then the other
Ever so slowly
In perfect synchronicity these two
Share their slow walk
And for a moment, death and old age
Pause, smile and bow
As I mentioned before I was touched at Sarnath by the Buddha's willingness to come back his five friends to share what he had learned. I am also touched by one of the Dalai Lama's favorite mantra's, a teaching of Padmasambhava the great Buddhist teacher of Tibet. It is the Bodhisattva's vow:
For as long as space endures
And for as long as sentient beings remain
May I too abide
To dispel the misery of the world
Bodhgaya, just as is Lumbini, where the Buddha was born, there are many different Buddhist temples. I visited temples from Bhutan, Japan, China and two from Tibetan. In the old Tibetan temple were paintings 2700 years old, older than Christ or the Buddha. On our last day and night in Bodhgaya a group of monks and pilgrims arrived from Thailand, and put purple and white orchids all around the temple and the tree. A group of shaven-headed nuns, dressed in gray sang their chants to the sound of wooden gongs. A delightful Tibetan monk came by gesturing to people, smiling, making contact and exhibiting great playfulness. While many were more inside, his pure delight at everything around him captured me. The last day he came and sat by Carol and I and we had a nice contact. Oct 23 we left back for Varanasi. The time in Bodhgaya was wonderful.
We are all well, plan to stay in Jaipur for a few more days and then head farther west into Rhajastan. We are definitely in different country, hillier, dryer, more desert, many camels. The next two nights are Diwahli, the festival of lights, celebrating Ram and Sita's return after 14 years in the forest and so it is a major celebratory time here.
Love, Jim
When I wrote last we were in Varanasi and on our way to Bodh Gaya. On Oct 17 we went to the train station in Mughal Sarai outside Varanasi. The train station was a wild chaotic place. We arrived early and were directed from one platform to another. As we came down a ramp to our platform the people in front of me parted and flowed around both sides of an old man lying on the platform. As we went by I could see he was totally emaciated, shaking and his eyes were wide open but unfocused on what was around him. As we passed I found I wanted to look away but looked at him to see what was there in front of me. He was dying. No-one seemed to pay any mind to him or to even alter their behavior at all. We were carried past him and onto the platform. Later all 5 of us agreed it was quite clear he was dying. This is something I am not used to seeing. And so I felt deeply affected by him.
There is a part that wants to say this is unacceptable or wrong. There is another part that feels it is also part of what it means to live in India. Many people were living on the station, clothes hanging under stairways, clothes tucked in corners, a few pots here and there, a few belongings. A man who appeared to have either mental damage or mental illness came to sit beside Terence. His feet were caloused and filled with cuts, his hands cut and his behavior erratic. I felt my own fear arise as to how to deal with him. In the end, he sat by us for an hour. At one point Carol said "Namaste" and put her hands together in salute to him and he returned the gesture. Many young children were begging. Three little ones especially staked us out and kept after us for money. Several people had said not to give beggars money as it may go into alcohol or drugs but I find no rule works well. What a surprise in India!! And so I find myself of necessity saying no to many and sometimes saying yes without there being more reason than I just respond differently at different times and in different situations.
Again it is hard to have young girls touching your hands and feet and asking over and over and over again for money. Sometimes nothing will stop them except just walking away. We took the second class train to Gaya near Bodhgaya. The train was full of people on longer journeys, sleeping, eating, visiting, laughing, playing with children. People constantly coming by with chocolate, tomato soup, and chai for sale. At Bodh Gaya we found a wonderful place to stay in a Hotel run by Tibetans. It was the full moon, and so we created our own ceremony, offerings and reflections. We were in Bodh Gaya five or six days and each morning we would go to the grounds where the main temple and the Bodhi Tree are to meditate and offer prayers. The site is wonderful, filled with Buddhist pilgrims, monks and nuns from all over the world.
One night Duncan, Terence, Carol and I received permission to stay on site all night. There were several others who also chose to stay on site, mostly monks and nuns. It was wonderful to be there, to contemplate the teachings of the Buddha and to see the devotion and sincereity from people from all over the world. One day, on the grounds, I watched an elderly, asian woman, doing a very slow walking meditation, while at the same time a small white stork-like bird imitated her steps on the grass.
Slow Walk
In the shadow of the Bodhi tree
Where the Buddha walked
aged Asian pilgrim-woman
Dressed all in white
Slowly places one foot, and then the other
Ever so slowly
A long-beaked, long-legged bird
Also all in white
Slowly places one foot, and then the other
Ever so slowly
In perfect synchronicity these two
Share their slow walk
And for a moment, death and old age
Pause, smile and bow
As I mentioned before I was touched at Sarnath by the Buddha's willingness to come back his five friends to share what he had learned. I am also touched by one of the Dalai Lama's favorite mantra's, a teaching of Padmasambhava the great Buddhist teacher of Tibet. It is the Bodhisattva's vow:
For as long as space endures
And for as long as sentient beings remain
May I too abide
To dispel the misery of the world
Bodhgaya, just as is Lumbini, where the Buddha was born, there are many different Buddhist temples. I visited temples from Bhutan, Japan, China and two from Tibetan. In the old Tibetan temple were paintings 2700 years old, older than Christ or the Buddha. On our last day and night in Bodhgaya a group of monks and pilgrims arrived from Thailand, and put purple and white orchids all around the temple and the tree. A group of shaven-headed nuns, dressed in gray sang their chants to the sound of wooden gongs. A delightful Tibetan monk came by gesturing to people, smiling, making contact and exhibiting great playfulness. While many were more inside, his pure delight at everything around him captured me. The last day he came and sat by Carol and I and we had a nice contact. Oct 23 we left back for Varanasi. The time in Bodhgaya was wonderful.
We are all well, plan to stay in Jaipur for a few more days and then head farther west into Rhajastan. We are definitely in different country, hillier, dryer, more desert, many camels. The next two nights are Diwahli, the festival of lights, celebrating Ram and Sita's return after 14 years in the forest and so it is a major celebratory time here.
Love, Jim
posted by HeartoftheWorld | 4:47 AM
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