Wednesday, June 10, 2009

The Buddhism question


There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth; not going all the way, and not starting.
- Buddha



One big question I always ask myself is - Who was I in my previous life?? (Non-believers please ignore)
Why am I so smitten with and so attracted to Buddhism??
Why do I spend countless hours reading translated Buddhist scripts and about Monks??
Why is the Tibetan freedom thing so close to my heart??
Why the idea of tourism for me is a place having monasteries that I can visit??

Let me try to answer some of these myself.

When I was a kid and a very well behaved at that, one Baba ji once told my mom that your son was a Sadhu (sage) in his previous life and that explains him being so well behaved, even-tempered and detached. May be, just may be I was not a Hindu sage but a Buddhist one, who knows.

My trip to Spiti is happening because, apart from being a place of exceptional beauty, Spiti is home to Buddhism in Himachal. With 1000-year-old monasteries to the most exquisite Buddhist wall paintings, the place is dotted with places of rich Buddhist history. Almost all of such places are on my Itinerary.

Since the day I started going around with my Girlfriend, most of out getaways and weekend trips happened to be to nearby monasteries, where we would sit and chat for hours.

Can someone guide me towards an enlightenment, can someone tell me why all this?
Why Buddhism, why not the religion I was born with?
I have huge respect for everything that’s Hindu, but still draw immense joy reading Buddhism. The picture of Buddha, the peaceful figurine provide something of an inner charm to me, I can’t help but keep looking at that face, like something I remember from some other lifetime. I try to emulate the mannerism of the monks going about their business in monastic setting.

Apart from researching about and documenting each and every temple in Himachal with a ‘Devta’ story attached, one thing I would like to do is visiting and documenting each and every Buddhist Monastery that exist in my state.
I don’t know why I would like to do this but it feels like my Life’s purpose.

I hope sooner or later I would find at least some of my questions answered. Till then I am looking for hints (and sometimes pulling them out of thin air, lol)
May be I have too much time at hand.


Ciao

1 comment:

  1. bro... plz dont share these stories with shweta... now that every thing is goin smooth..y do u wanna ruin it by declaring ur self a monk.. i know it happens but this intense...ahhh god my friend needs some councelling..lol..boy but that sage thing is true.. that babaji is rite...
    chill and remember..click..click..click..

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