Looking back, take 2 (farewell to Bodhgaya - for the present, and Chod drums)

picture: night shot of the Mahabodhi temple from the north side: where I did my last meditation before leaving the temple grounds.


It is almost 7 am on Tuesday morning and I slept well. I am thinking that the time adjustment may occur more easily than expected. however, I will share with you something I saw on the bus. As we sat on the bus from the airport in Delhi back to Potala guest house to do our last-hour shopping and pack to leave, Rinpoche had told us she heard there was a significant cold-snap in the mid-west to which we would be returning - one that had caused many deaths - and to dress warmly. It was not until I got to Amsterdam and checked the internet that I learned there had been a severe ice storm cross the midsection of the country causing many deaths, and that it was moving into the northeast. However, it had been south of us, and so Wisconsin was basically spared. Our weather was seasonable for January - cold, but no ice storm. However, at the time this was all that we knew and we hoped that our return journey would not hold the challenges of the previous 24 hours. Rinpoche was sitting alone in the front seat of the bus, and I was across the aisle from her, so I witnessed her do something quietly that I believe no one else saw. Right after this conversation, she made gestures with her hands as though she was calming down and smoothing out something. My thoughts were that she was blessing our return home so that it would go smoothly and the storms would abate. I never actually asked her what she was doing - or even acknowledged that I saw her do anything. I wanted to respect her privacy. Now however, she will obviously find out that I observed her.

Anyway, back to the last hours in Bodhgaya....

After we returned from Mahakala cave, my first concern was to make it to the tailor and get the items he was working on for me. I had returned parts of my summer robes a few days before that he had incorrectly made, and wanted to check them out to make sure there would be a few hours left if he needed to make even more alterations. Group by group, many of us showed up at the tailor to pick up our orders. We almost don't need to speak any more. He knows who we are and what we came for. He saw me, wordlessly invited me to sit, brought me a small glass of milk tea, and ironed my items. I paid him for the shentaup with patches (everything else was an alteration of something he had made previously that was already paid for).

After tenzhuk, followed by our strong meditations for Rinpoche's long life and health, I, like many others, went back to Mahabodhi temple for one last chance to meditate and do kora. One sect of Tibetan monks were chanting, joined by lay people of that tradition. I enjoyed kora for the last time (this visit anyway), prayed at the bodhi tree and then sat at the spot of Green Tara on the north side of the temple and meditated. As I meditated, the group of monks came and did kora several times around the temple, chanting as they went. I heard them pass as I meditated. Eventually, I got up from meditation. I will miss this holy place. There is an energy like no other. It is more than the site of Lord Buddha's enlightenment - 25 centuries of the prayers and devotions of pilgrims who come here has left an indelible mark. I joined my prayers and devotions to those of millions, perhaps billions, of others. However, there was still much to do before sleep and so I reluctantly left the temple. I decided to swing by the stand where we were expecting a shipment of chod drums. I was very disappointed to discover that the stand was closed. No more chod drums, I thought. I then did something I almost never did. I took a bicycle rickshaw back to the hotel. I always walked. But this last night, in the dark, after a long day, I rode back.

Background information: Some days before, Rinpoche sent word through N. Pema that she was giving us permission to obtain chod drums. Some time this coming year, she would introduce us to chod practice. (It was only a few hours later that we discovered that a group of approx 200 nuns had arrived in town to perform a group chod at the temple. Needless to say, we all went to observe. But I commented on this in a previous posting.) Then Rinpoche and her attendants went through the market looking for a seller of chod drums so we would know where to obtain good quality drums. a vendor was found, and the 6 drums he had were soon sold out to members of our group. He knew we needed about 16 more and he ordered them in from Dharamsala. He expected the order by bus on the evening of the 12th.

This was the 12th. We would leave Bodhgaya by bus at 6 am on the 13th.

I returned to the hotel to complete packing and was laying down resting when the word came that the vendor was downstairs in the lobby with his shipment of chod drums. Earlier in the day, N. Pema had asked him to bring his drums to our hotel when they arrived and we would purchase them then. I was fortunate to be among the first down there and chose a drum that was ani-sized. Not too big - but with a good sound. There is extensive use of the drum during chod and if you get one that is too large and heavy for you, you may find it very painful for your arm & wrist. By twos and threes our group straggled back to the hotel from their last outings in Bodhgaya and joined in choosing their drum. In the end, almost each of us had one. The vendor did very well that day - but so did we.

For the students who were not with us, please do not ask to try out our chod drums. Rinpoche instructed that our own drum was like our mala. Once we have started to use it, others are not to touch it. We are not to show it off or play it carelessly. It is a sacred instrument. We can practice and learn to use it properly. In fact, Rinpoche said that those who did not practice and could not play the drum properly, would not be allowed to learn chod, so we'd better practice. Carrying the chod drums around for the next 48 hours became an interesting feature of our very long bus ride! At times, we brought them out and practiced.

We did meditation practice and went to bed, packed and ready for an early and long day. The plan for the following day would be long. Arise early; have bags in the lobby by 5:15 am, breakfast buffet at 5:30 am and board the bus at 6 am. Drive several hours to Rajgir (Massed Vultures Peak), spend several hours and have a teaching; back on the bus for a few more hours and arrive at the ruins of Nalanda university. Spend a couple of hours and have another teaching. The back on the bus for another few hours ride to Patna for a plane flight to Delhi. Arrive at Potala guest house by 10:30 pm and spend the night. We would have the next day (the 14th) to pick up our things from the tailors there and do our last bits of shopping before the first group left at 9:30 pm by bus for the airport and the trip home. A tight schedule, but doable. Well....it didn't go exactly that way. The best laid plans.....are subject to the vagarities of the Delhi weather patterns. Unlike America, few aircraft in India can land on instruments. When the Delhi airport gets socked with fog, air travel around the country stops.....

may there be a rain of dharma