When I was young; I was a traveler, an explorer. I had been from place to place and met people after people. I often find myself conversing with oldies; I guess the quality which charmed people around me was my playful and fun-loving nature. In my childhood days I had been throughout the valleys of my homeland, Bhutan by car and on foot; on the road of great Indian delta of Ganges and the red soil valley of Kathmandu Nepal.
My childhood’s most memorable places had come in a sequence on my first journey to Bodhgaya in Bihar. And the long but an authentic journey of Buddhist pilgrimages from my home town. We started our journey very early in the morning before the sunrise. And have seen my first sun rise in plains where the sun starts from way below the horizon which was quite unusual for me as I see my sunrise from a back of a high mountain in my homeland wondering why was the sun so near and low. And I saw the sky changing from varieties of color from orange, yellow to blue for the first time as well; which made me senseless of my long and tiring bus ride and found myself breathless and with a blank mind. I guess that’s what you called breathtaking and mind blowing. Or a glance of happiness without an achievement but just by presence. Even the air gave a different aroma and aroma of peace, calm and humble. I felt the fast gushing of air on my face and the high speed moving trees and the stationary sun rising above the horizons. And the road with which ends into a dot.
Even today the memories of those days inspire and give me the strength I need to tackle my obstacle. It also frees my mind of tensions and just be there contained. For the first time in my life I was comfortable being still, and the sun set revealing the stars and the moon slowly climbing its way up. Two days and two nights my mind was lost with the sun and the running trees. Next day the bus came to its halt and then off to camping not so far away from the great Mahabodhi temple of Bodhgaya.
Inside the Mahabodhi temple premises are thousands of people circumambulating around the sunken but tall temple with sculptures all over its outer and inner façade. I remember myself running around through the crowd imagining myself riding a bike in a race, vroom, vroom….. Beside the temple was a lake, a very dirty one. The water has turned black but I was startled by the abundance of slimy fish in that lake. An over grown Fish Lake it was in the name of freeing the small fishes in the market which won’t fetch fisher a good deal by killing it.
I met two of my most memorable friends down there. They are from Sikkim and they also came on their vacation. I can’t remember their name and am not in touch with them I guess that’s why I could never forget them. They were two sisters and my first encounter with them was amusing. They were hiding behind their parents and suddenly two heads popped out form the backs of their parents and both look very similar which got me scratching my head and amused. One was very sensitive and the other one was tuff.
The most memorable moment I had with the two first girl friends from Sikkim was at an abandoned half done house. Grey was the concrete not painted and can still feel the exposed mortar within the brick which was not plastered. The place was rustic perfect for an adventure as an explorer. It is also the place where I got my first two kisses from each of them. I still remember how one use to blush but the other one was tuff.
Night time the temple premises was lit up with light and butter lamps as and offerings and the temple stood more attractive and I often find myself alone meditating and offering my bows. Hundred and eight bowings I offered every night and one of the nights I met my first guru a Buddhist guru (khempo). We had conversed a lot but I can only remember him telling me the word circumambulating for the first time. I had mediated under the same bodhi tree where Buddha got enlightened just outside the temple aside from the main entrance on the right side.
The day when I was leaving back home was a sad scene, I missed my first two girl friends, my first guru and the temple. Today I thank god for giving me this most sensational memories which at times become my strength and my inspiration. “Sometimes the place gives its own sense. Sometimes people and activities around you gives a new sense and meaning to your life with no justification. Both cannot be compared because the two are completely different and difference should not be challenged but rather it should be relished and celebrated of its uniqueness “. While going back in the same bus and on the same seat and when I saw the sun setting I smiled back at the sun with memories replaying all over in my head.
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