Fifth night I spent under the Bodhi tree meditating.
Usually they charge extra if you want to stay back at night to meditate under the tree, yesterday the temple monk gave permit without me having to pay - a gift!
I was alone this time, Olga in the hotel room tonight. Initially the sitting was very uncomfortable and I kept fidgeting, mosquitoes and general discomfort and I had to keep changing posture. I sat at 9 pm and opened my eyes at 12 pm to discover they had lighted one big light and the place was covered in mist. Closed my eyes and continued, wondering why am uncomfortable today (it still did not register it is getting quite cold).
I got up and left the shawl on the seat and walked around the temple, felt better, but as soon as I sat down I met agitation, picked my phone and found the metal part unusually cold. Hmm :)
Regardless, I kept meditating watching the discomfort of the body with calm in my mind. Soon mist began to condense into big drops, making everything wet. Like the Bodhi tree was dropping tears of karuna and metta. Open my eyes again to find monks walking around the tree unaffected by the cold and drew inspiration to continue(some Thai monks take up the practice of never lying down), another Thai laywoman sitting motionless in a white cotton saree. Sometimes, all you need to finish a task is guts!
Seeing the Thai woman, I was almost ashamed of my warm comfortable clothes. Continued my work calmly. In the morning I felt something opened eyes again to find the concerned watchman there taking stock if all meditators were alright after the sudden turn of weather. My face came out of the hood of my jacket smiling, he was relieved. He asked me why didnt I use a mosquito net - "Dont need it", I smiled and reply.
It was a tough night for all of us, evoked a sense of mutual love and support as all meditators worked together in silence for the whole night ... and the morning was most beautiful ever. A monk stopped and gifted me a Bodhi leaf from the tree in the morning.
I could easily pass a few days with very little sleep, and have never felt better.
When the mind is that calm, you need next to no sleep.
As you progress in meditation, you can forget about 'strong' experiences, welcome to the sphere of the subtle :)
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Difference
Olga and me both are reaping good fruits.
Both of us walk back after a night of meditation and wake after some rest between 8-10 am. Its amazing we walk or meditate near the Bodhi Tree through the day and are becoming better at staying calm and restful.
Yesterday, it became quite clear to me that it will not be difficult for me to be a monk. I will find it easier and more sense to live the life of a monk.
My gender stops me. At least brings in genuine concerns.
Both of us walk back after a night of meditation and wake after some rest between 8-10 am. Its amazing we walk or meditate near the Bodhi Tree through the day and are becoming better at staying calm and restful.
Yesterday, it became quite clear to me that it will not be difficult for me to be a monk. I will find it easier and more sense to live the life of a monk.
My gender stops me. At least brings in genuine concerns.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Dissolving
From Sarnath to Bodh Gaya
Dont know what and how much to write here. How much can be shared...
Right now near the Bodhi tree. We are spending five days here - or rather nights. Yesterday me and Olga (travel partner fellow meditator) spent the entire night meditating under the Bodhi tree. We walked back to our quarters at around 4 in the morning ... slept soon after and woke up in a few hours at 9 am completely rested. Olga has gone to the room to catch some rest now as I am sitting here writing this post – its 6 pm.
I feel quite good with her, money is of least concern between us and we frequently lose track of who paid for what :)
Today we spent some time walking in the local market as I wanted to buy fresh milk, fresh veggies and fresh bread instead of going to some eatery ... we got back to the room and had a good salad, fresh Tibetan bread, hot chocolate from the cow milk we were lucky enough to get. Going local turned out to be a super idea to save our guts from spice!
Going to soak almonds and soak chickpea for sprouts and have that for breakfast. I increasingly prefer cheap over expensive, and there are reasons - if you go to a cheap eatery chances are you will be served quickly, you walk out quickly and save time, food will be fresh and usually I ask them to cook in a particular way and it is easier to get it done in a smaller joint ... I feel safer in trains and public transport after bad experience with hired drivers hallucinating after lack of sleep, or drivers just trying to help us realize that we are single women daring to travel alone in Bihar.
It is great to stay in a Tibetan monastery and wake up with chanting and gongs, far better than a plush hotel with creature comforts.
I know am losing a lot of constructs, I could sit with street kids in the park surrounding the stupa marking the place where Buddha gave his first discourse and talk for hours and sip tea from the same cup ... ... I even washed the public bathroom in the Tibetan monastry before I used it. Funny part is it only occurred to me later that instead of taking all the trouble I could have paid someone to clean it! I saw the monks were cleaning the toilets and were not using soap, I simply went to my room, got lots of soap and scrubbed the toilets and bathrooms tiles till it was squeaky clean; then took a shower in cold water, and walked out with Olga for breakfast.
Numerous little things
Everybody began to recognize us n the small town of Sarnath - peculiar pair - an Indian and Western girl looking very peaceful waking past the streets ... not into rites and rituals but just with the ability to sit motionless for hours near the holy sites :)
People would smile as we would walk past in the small town J
Olga was a complete stranger before I met her for this trip at the meditation center, and we will soon be parting ways
Ja
Dont know what and how much to write here. How much can be shared...
Right now near the Bodhi tree. We are spending five days here - or rather nights. Yesterday me and Olga (travel partner fellow meditator) spent the entire night meditating under the Bodhi tree. We walked back to our quarters at around 4 in the morning ... slept soon after and woke up in a few hours at 9 am completely rested. Olga has gone to the room to catch some rest now as I am sitting here writing this post – its 6 pm.
I feel quite good with her, money is of least concern between us and we frequently lose track of who paid for what :)
Today we spent some time walking in the local market as I wanted to buy fresh milk, fresh veggies and fresh bread instead of going to some eatery ... we got back to the room and had a good salad, fresh Tibetan bread, hot chocolate from the cow milk we were lucky enough to get. Going local turned out to be a super idea to save our guts from spice!
Going to soak almonds and soak chickpea for sprouts and have that for breakfast. I increasingly prefer cheap over expensive, and there are reasons - if you go to a cheap eatery chances are you will be served quickly, you walk out quickly and save time, food will be fresh and usually I ask them to cook in a particular way and it is easier to get it done in a smaller joint ... I feel safer in trains and public transport after bad experience with hired drivers hallucinating after lack of sleep, or drivers just trying to help us realize that we are single women daring to travel alone in Bihar.
It is great to stay in a Tibetan monastery and wake up with chanting and gongs, far better than a plush hotel with creature comforts.
I know am losing a lot of constructs, I could sit with street kids in the park surrounding the stupa marking the place where Buddha gave his first discourse and talk for hours and sip tea from the same cup ... ... I even washed the public bathroom in the Tibetan monastry before I used it. Funny part is it only occurred to me later that instead of taking all the trouble I could have paid someone to clean it! I saw the monks were cleaning the toilets and were not using soap, I simply went to my room, got lots of soap and scrubbed the toilets and bathrooms tiles till it was squeaky clean; then took a shower in cold water, and walked out with Olga for breakfast.
Numerous little things
Everybody began to recognize us n the small town of Sarnath - peculiar pair - an Indian and Western girl looking very peaceful waking past the streets ... not into rites and rituals but just with the ability to sit motionless for hours near the holy sites :)
People would smile as we would walk past in the small town J
Olga was a complete stranger before I met her for this trip at the meditation center, and we will soon be parting ways
Ja
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