Tuesday, November 9, 2010

India Pilgrimage 17.09.2010

I visited the magnificent Maha Bodhi temple. The temple where Buddha gains enlightenment under the Bodhi tree. There is this peaceful and serene energy which vibrates around the area.

No doubt, the temple is a peaceful place to dwell in but Bodh Gaya is a saddening town. Fake monk trying to scam you, Local Indians trying to use learning English from you as an opportunity for you to listen to their sad life story and let you take pity on them. Looking at everyone, living ignorantly is saddening.

As a Buddhist, being mindful is very important, dwelling on the past is not going to change anything, feeling nostalgic, guilty, sorrowful and revengeful that you can’t change is meaningless. Neither is anticipating pointlessly about the future that faces uncertainty. The present moment, which provides us the opportunity for us to live in, in its sublime existential state, is the only place we can truly be.

I sat for about an hour near the Bodhi tree. I saw the changing of the robe donated from the devotees. What’s surprising is that the whole temple is dominated by the Thai. The interior of the altar is in typical Lai-Thai style. I talked to the monk whom changed the robe of the Buddha. He told me most of the furnishing, air-con, crystal lamps are all from Thailand. For a moment, I was very dignified and proud of being ¼ associated with Thai.

There is also a huge Buddha statue in mediation mudra nearby the town built by a Japanese temple which is absolutely majestic. The blue natural clouds that act as the backdrop is surreal.

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