I was supposed to head out to Varanasi this morning but because my tailor shop closed up early last night, I was unable to take my yellow costume - thus I saw it as a gracious signal to spend one more morning under the Bodhi Tree. This Sacred Fig growing at the Mahabodhi Temple is allegedly a direct descendant of the original specimen under which Siddhartha Gautama took a vow to never arise from meditation and Anapana-sati (awareness of breathing in and out) until he had found the Truth. Here He gained Enlightenment. The Buddha then spent a whole week in front of this tree, standing with unblinking eyes, gazing at it with gratitude.
It was not a difficult decision to take to sit it out one more day in light of all this:
Yesterday I woke up pretty late as I was in need of a good 10 hours of sleep after the past few sleepless mosquito biten dog wailing 5am wakings in Nawada. I headed to the temple as the heat of the day was rising. I entered just in time to catch all the monks doing karma yoga at the temple around the Bodhi Tree-vigorously washing the sacred stones, clearing out waste bin after waste bin of garlands, wilted marigolds lotus and other flower offerings, hosing down the marble and walls around the Tree. There was an incredible happiness in the air. The winds were blowing their softest cool breezes and some monks were playfully running this way and that to catch the falling pipal leaves. At first I was watching and laughing at the game of it and then I too was infected by the chance of gathering a few of these falling heart shaped yellow leaves raining from the massive outstretched limbs of the Bodhi tree over the meditation courtyard. Each monk was in jest so proud to show me their leaves which I assumed they were gathering for other monks and family who could not make the journey(I have gathered a few for you too).This courtyard that is usually steeped in meditation chants and silent reverence was alive and bustling with smiling monks, pilgrims and the curious from all over the world. The spectacle of multi colored cloths and the universality of all in barefoot was ripe with the most ecstatic vision of Peace I have ever witnessed.
Herein is a place on earth full with the breath of Love.
Om Mani Padme Hum.
Án ma ni bát mê hồng.
