It's fitting that the 100 post mark describes HHDL's first teachings, given that this is a pivotal moment in the program and is the reason that some people came. And also because it's really cool.
(I do have more to say about our weekend trip, but I'll put that on hold because I know HHDL is a huge draw. With good reason.)
Background: Dawa left to go back to school today, so before I left at 8 (an hour earlier than normal), I gave him a "I heart NY" hat and a kata to wish him safe travels. He really did make my homestay experience super enjoyable and I was sad to see him go, since I'll have no one to walk the dog with and he won't make fun of me anymore (he is super sarcastic and always makes ridiculous comments when I ask questions. Then I believe him and look like a fool). Anyway, he really liked the gift and I gave him a hug and it was a good time to see him (and Amala) so happy. I may still get married off, but that’s a different issue.
Liz and I walked over to the temple around 8, and there was already a huge throng of people there. Monks were hawking books outside, momo sellers were everywhere, and generally there was a lot of commotion. We met Julia and Sam in the security line for foreigners (there are two separate lines) and got our bags checked and underwent patdowns that rival those in US airports if you refuse the body scanner. They didn’t do a great job of bag checking, because I realized I got my apple peeling knife (10 rupees!) in the temple.
Since we registered beforehand, we walked to the upper level of the temple (the temple has two levels, but the main level is the upper one) and found seats with the rest of our program. HHDL sat in the main temple, and we sat in the open air part surrounding the temple on the same level. Thai people got to sit in the temple with him because they paid for the teachings to occur. The area was sectioned off, with places for monks, Tibetan natives, and specific foreigners (like, Koreans, etc.) in a way that I couldn’t really make head or tail of. There were big tvs broadcasting HHDL’s podium, but I was sitting behind a tree (in the middle of a temple…welcome to India) and so couldn’t see the TV. No worries, though, because…
HHDL rolled up the stairs literally five feet in front of me! Everyone got up to bow/prostrate/whatever, and there he was walking up the stairs! The place was packed and had Indian security with rifles in place along the stairs and at the corners of the building, but even those guys put their hands together in respect towards HHDL.
Then everyone sat back down on their cushions, at some point monks came around with butter tea and bread, and we listened to HHDL talk. He spoke in Tibetan, but there’s simultaneous translation to many languages, so we listened to English over the radio. Occasionally he would break into English so then I would take my headphone out and listen to his voice, which is so awesome. I took 20 full pages of notes on Buddhist philosophy, and as frustrated as I have been at philosophy class while I’ve been here, I must say that I felt like I had a really good grounding in a lot of the things he spoke about. If you would like a detailed account of the philosophical lecture, contact me, but I think most people would rather I skip ahead to key quotes and other random stuff.
HHDL quotes that I heard with my own ears:
(* = in translation)
“You come here to learn something new!”
“If a fox were to leap like a lion, it may break its back.”*
“Buddha statues cannot speak to us – it is the story that really teaches us.” *
“Ultimately you yourself are master/creator.” *
[English English English]… “You speak English, don't you?” (in response to murmurings from the Thai people)
He stopped at 11:30 and broke for lunch, once again walking out right in front of us. I didn’t leave the temple; our friend Pemala (from Sarah) led us to a secret bathroom with no line – clutch! A bunch of us had oranges and rice crackers for lunch, then Cynthia and Britain brought back some bananas, and we just generally lounged and talked to the people around us. Claudia found some fellow Venezuelans who were pretty cool.
He came back after lunch to finish the teaching. Overall, HHDL touched on freeing oneself from suffering by cultivating boddhicitta (wish for all sentient beings to be happy) through method and wisdom. He talked a lot about meditative concentration, and studying, and the different minds, and how the self exists, and emptiness, and attachment/the nature of suffering, and how phenomena actually exist. Text analyzed: “The Stages of Meditation.”
Thoughts on the teaching:
HHDL’s voice is amazing.
It is really weird to listen to Tibetan in one ear and English in another. Additionally, as a translator you have so much power and/or pressure.
HHDL talked about religious tolerance and the fact that all religions work towards a harmonious world. He argued that each religion preaches to be good to one another, and only the reasoning behind it differs. I.e. theistic religions rely on God to persuade adherents to be good to one another, while Buddhism uses karma to argue that you make your situation through cause and effect. Buddhists argue that their system is more logical, but I’m not sure I agree. Also, one could argue that submitting to God/self-sacrifice is less selfish than simply being good so as to improve one’s own lot in life. This is probably a really Western argument but I think it’s worth mentioning.
HHDL is pretty short but always looks super happy and has a great laugh and is clearly just the kind of person you want to be around. He also has a sense of humor, given that he said other monk in attendance were more learned than him because he only had 13 years of study and they had 15 or 20.
Two major points of emphasis: real study and real practice. By real study, he was really into people digging into the texts and analysis, and practice he meant applying the principles of Buddhism to your life, each and every day.
The teachings were surprisingly physically exhausting: sitting cross-legged is hard, and it’s even harder to sit up straight for long amounts of time, but if you don’t your back hurts. Plus it’s mentally exhausting to listen to a fuzzy radio with a billion and a half people around. But it was absolutely worth it.
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