Fearless Mountain Newsletter
Spring 2008 Articles
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Damekh Stupa, Sarnath
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Sravasti
“Buddham Saranam Gacchāmi, Dhammam Saranam Gacchāmi, Sangham Saranam Gacchāmi.”
That was not the chant by our pilgrims, but a “song” sung by a little boy in front of the Jetavana (Jeta’s Grove)—the first place we visited. Once the bus stopped, we were welcomed and greeted by several beggars. I heard this little boy playing his hand drum and singing the above verse. He sang loud and clear, and continued to sing even after we walked into Jeta’s Grove.
As you walk into Jeta’s Grove, you can see the Ānanda Bodhi tree on your right. The tree is so old that there are now a few metal props to support its branches. There were monks from other traditions chanting and meditating under the tree. We too chanted and meditated under the tree for a while before going to the Buddha’s kuti. Jeta’s Grove is not a crowded place, so we had some quality time to meditate and listen to the Sutta (read by Ajahn Cattāmalo) in the Buddha’s kuti. We also took a few pictures at the Mangala Sutta spot—where a deva came down to ask the Buddha about the greatest blessings.
I was pretty well-armed with Ajahn Amaro’s advice on how to handle Indian beggars: don’t indicate you’ve seen them. However, when we were leaving Jeta’s Grove I happened to look into one female beggars’ eyes and felt as if my heart was squeezed by those poor unfortunate eyes. From that moment on, I intended not to look into any beggar’s eyes anymore.
Kushinagar
I have read about the reclining Buddha (in his Parinibbæna posture) in Kushinagar, and how his face looks different from different angles. That is, it looks like the Buddha is smiling if you look straight from the front angle; looks like the Buddha is sad if you stand by his feet and look from that angle; and looks like the Buddha is sleeping if you stand by his head and look from there. I have also read about people shedding tears when they come here, and our group was no exception.
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Kushinagar is another crowded place, yet we managed to offer robe cloth to the reclining Buddha. After that we went to Ramabhar Stupa (the Buddha’s cremation place) and a Thai monastery called “Wat Thai Kushinagar.” This monastery is exceptionally beautiful.
Lumbini, Nepal
It took us a while to travel from one place to another on the bumpy roads in India or Nepal, and it felt even longer to pass the border of the two countries. After a long pause at the immigration, we finally arrived at Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha. Inside Māya Devi Vihæra, you will see the Buddha’s footprint and a sculpture of Queen Māya Devi giving birth to the Buddha. There is a stone slab marking the exact spot of the Buddha’s birth, and an Asokan pillar. Our group had the opportunity to meditate at both places.
Lumbini is very beautiful, with a pond where the baby Buddha was bathed, green grass, nice gardens, lots of trees, and Tibetan prayers flags everywhere.
Varanasi and Sarnath
Our India trip wouldn’t have been complete without a visit to the Ganges River. One cold day in Varanasi, we headed to the river before dawn and took a boat ride from one dock, where people take a holy bath, to another dock, where dead bodies are cremated. There are all kinds of people: merchants, beggars, yogis, Hindu practitioners, etc., but cows are still the “kings of the road.” We had a chance to see one “march past” by friends and family of a dead person, a corpse all covered with flowers. The friends and family sang happily along their way to the river, since they believe that the dead person, if cremated here, will go straight to heaven.
Sarnath is where the Buddha preached his first sermon. We chanted and meditated in the area, and walked around the Dhamekh Stupa three times. Then we went to Sarnath Museum where we saw the original 200 B.C. Buddha Rūpa in Dhammacakka mudra, depicting the Buddha sitting above the first five bhikkhus.
Bodh Gaya
We arrived in Bodh Gaya Page 3 of 4
at night, and it was another speechless moment for me. The Mahā Bodhi Temple is such a wonderful thing: you see it in the distance and there you are, struck by its power and can’t even say a word.
There are faithful monastics and laypeople from every tradition in Bodh Gaya, and it is the most crowded place among all the holy places. It is always packed inside the Mahā Bodhi Temple, and this is where someone may step on your hand while you are bowing or bump against you while you are meditating. I usually get frustrated by such an environment, but Ajahn Cattāmalo’s words shed light on my kilesa-covered mind: “We will never have this place all to ourselves. Instead of feeling irritated, we should have mudita since these people are here because of their faith in the Buddha Dhamma.” Thank you, Ajahn.
We spent two days in Bodh Gaya—longer than we did elsewhere. We went to pay respects, chant, and meditate at the temple and under the Sri Mahā Bodhi tree several times. We also offered a robe to the main Buddha Rūpa in the temple. At times we listened to a Sutta and/or a Dhamma talk, and meditated under another Bodhi tree. It is also interesting to see different Pūja rituals all around you: how Tibetan monks and laypeople bow, how Sri Lankan laywomen offer their prayer flags, etc. Sometimes I found unusual peace in my mind, regardless of everything that was going on in the area.
While in Bodh Gaya, we visited Dhungasiri Cave (where the Buddha practiced dukkhāra kiriya—austerities), Sujata’s village, and the spot where Sujata offered milk-rice. Needless to say, there were beggars everywhere. Some were sitting in a long line waiting for us. Some walked with us all the way up the mountain, or all the way to Sujata’s house. It is sad to see that most of these beggars are little kids; some are just about three years old. Their innocence made me wonder whether they really knew what they’re doing.
Rajgir: Vulture’s Peak, Nalanda, and the Bamboo Grove
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Another great place we visited was Vulture’s Peak in Rajgir (Rājagaha), where you have to walk up the mountain to the Buddha’s hut. But to me, walking up the mountain here was nothing compared to walking up to the ordination platform at Abhayagiri. Here you will see the cave where Sāriputta was fully enlightened. This is also where Mahā-Mogallāna saw ghosts and smiled as he walked down the mountain. I am not sure if I should be happy since I didn’t see any ghost there that day—not even the “ghost” (kilesa) in my mind.
The beautiful name “Nalanda” belongs to the ancient town where Sāriputta and Mahā-Mogallanā were born. There once was a Buddhist university here, but it was burned down and the monks were killed by Muslim soldiers. The only thing that survived all the invasions was a Black Buddha Rūpa. We went to pay respect and offer a robe to the Black Buddha, and then we walked around Nalanda “campus” and visited the spectacular Sāriputta stupa.
The last holy place we visited was the Bamboo Grove (Veluvāna), where there is still a lot of bamboo nowadays. We got there in the evening, not too long before its closing time, so we could only meditate briefly and listen to a short Dhamma talk, yet it looks like a very peaceful place to practice.
In the End . . .
This Indian pilgrimage was a great trip, even though we spent every morning at a holy place and every afternoon on a bumpy road to another holy place (except for the two days in Bodh Gaya). In addition to this tiring schedule, almost everyone on the trip got sick with one thing or another (cold, flu, or diarrhea). Despite all these difficulties, I still consider this a great opportunity of a lifetime (and yes, despite the fact that Ajahn Pasanno couldn’t go with us). India is so raw, real, and full of life. And as I think back on those breathtaking things I saw in India, I should remember my practice and “see” the thoughts in my mind as well… or the purpose of this pilgrimage would simply go to waste. So… did your mind already go to India, just like mine?
