Precious Human Birth - Bodh Gaya, India
Bodh Gaya, India
Part of ngondro is we contemplate the Four Reminders:
Precious human birth - This life is exceedingly rare. Make the most of it.
Karma - Don't screw it up. Positive actions bring happiness, now and in the future.
Impermanence - Nothing lasts. You're going to die, so make headway on the path while you can.
Futility of samsara - You'll never make it work for you, not long-term anyway. Don't get caught in the trap.
I've mostly been focusing on the first one lately and yesterday morning made that easy.
After having the usual awesome breakfast at Tibet Om Cafe (the real one across from the Kalachakra grounds, not the fake one on the main road that gives you the runs), I wander down to the temple to do ngondro. I know that someone important is coming since people are lined up on both sides of the entrance in anjali holding khatas. I'm the only person walking through and I'm pretty sure they're not doing this for me, but I felt like smiling and waving.
Security is a breeze since the crowds are positioned outside, waiting for the big cheese to arrive. I get a smile and a "happy new year" from one of the guards as he's patting me down.
I arrive in the ngondro corner of the complex and I find a nice shady spot facing the area where pujas (ceremonies) are held in front of the Bodhi Tree. There's one going on now which I think is related to the Kagyu Monlam that takes place at Tergar Monastery (it's no longer practical to do monlams at the temple due to popularity and security). I do my morning chants and start the liturgy.
There's a bustle and I realize the big cheese has arrived. It's the 17th Karmapa (Orgyen - from now on I'm going to stop qualifying him - there's only one Karmapa and this guy's the real deal). We do the mandala offering mudra as he's settling in for his talk. Once the mandala offering is done, I continue with my practice.
Just as I'm finishing my liturgy a prostration board opens up that's in a shady spot with an unobstructed view of the Bodhi Tree (very rare). The boards are rented, so you can't just use them without permission. But I don't even need to ask. Just as I'm standing up, the owner motions for me to use it.
As I'm doing my prostrations, it occurs to me that:
I have the means to be in Bodhgaya without financial concern,
I'm at the Mahabodhi Temple in front of the Tree,
my prostration spot and the weather are perfect,
I've received excellent teachings and I have a body/mind that can work with them,
that body/mind is trained so that the prostrations are reasonably effortless at this point,
through prostrations I'm working on what I probably need to work on most (pride/anger),
and one of the most wonderful human beings on the face of the planet (scheduled to be the next Buddha after Maitreya) is sitting just a few yards away so that I can see him and hear his voice.
Sure, he's speaking in Tibetan and I have no idea what he's saying, but that's just getting picky. This life is incredibly awesome.