Jundo's India Diary: A Month of Travels & Pilgrimage

[Jundo]

Sat at Bodhgaya, just under the Bodhi Tree.

Just Sitting.

Just the same as sitting anywhere.

Just everywhere.

Just at home.

Gassho, J


BodgayaZazen.jpg

[Seishin]

Deep bows. Just one tree of numberless trees

[Kyonin]

Jundo,

Thank you for sitting under the Bodhi Tree. For some reason I feel humbled.

Deep bows.

Kyonin
#SatToday

[RichardH]

Thank you for sitting under the Bodhi Tree, everyday, with all of us. May the train schedules be kind today.

Gassho
Daizan

sat today under the Bodhi Tree.

[Jundo]

It is quite some place ... Buddhists of every flavor, and from so many places ... some chanting, some meditating, some prostrating or twirling prayer wheels or simply taking it all in.

But truly Buddha is found here or there as much as right where you sit.

(Again, not my photo as camera phones are not allowed in the premises. Under the Tree is actually a very intimate and comfortable, welcoming space) ...





Incense is not allowed, but I was able to light some in my heart for all of you, and some folks to whom I made a special promise. I did find a leaf from the Bodhi Tree on the ground, and will bring it home to place on Treeleaf's altar in the Zendo. (The present tree, by the way, is something of a second cousin twice removed of the original tree, which was several times cut down over the millenia by desecrators of various kinds, then replanted using various related trees. But that does not matter).

We also visited the spot where, legend says (nobody truly knows if and where), Sujata offered ricemilk to the emaciated and weak aescetic Gautama, just setting him on the Middle Way of moderation.

A girl called Sujata,eldest daughter of the chief herdsman Nanda,was passing by.She saw weak Buddha and offered him rice pudding.The Buddha looked at Sujata with gratitude and ate all the contents of the bowl offered to him.As Buddha had the rice pudding his body refreshed.Later as Buddha regained his strength he realised that severe austerities and making body suffer was not the way to attain enlightenment.Buddha left the place as he understood that torturing body will not take him to truth.

Tomorrow ... to Vulture Peak!

Gassho, J

SatToday

[Jakuden]

Gassho,
Jakuden
SatToday

[Sekishi]

Thank you for sharing with all of us Jundo.

I find it deeply moving to see pictures (even if they are not "yours") and know you are there at the Bodhi tree - a real thing in a real place. I know that sounds stupid, of course they are real (as much as anything is "real"), and yet the heart-mind is moved.

Thank you.

Nine bows,
Sekishi

#sattoday

[Tai Shi]

I would be just plain excited about seeing Bodgaya AND to be there, eating the food, listening to the sounds of people who do not understand, yet perhaps excited themselves about having also made a pilgrimage--yes I am excited for you. Nameste! and Gassho.
std
Tai Shi

[Shokai]

Thank you Jundo. Totally awesome, I am glad you tookus with you

gassho

satToday

[Mp]

I have to say that is amazing to be in the same place where the Buddha found enlightenment ... wonderful! =)

Gassho
Shingen

s@today

[Shugen]

Thank you Jundo for taking us with you!

Gassho,

Shugen


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[Myosha]

I have to say that is amazing to be in the same place where the Buddha found enlightenment ... wonderful!

s@today

Hello,

FINDING enlightenment! Good one.


Gassho
Myosha
sat today

[michaeljc]

Had the Delhi Belly yet Jundo?

Wishing you well

m

Sitting soon

[Jundo]

Dear All,

Sat with you all yesterday on Vulture Peak, the place where the Buddha is said to have taught the Lotus Sutra, Perfection of Wisdom and others. Folks there from Tibet, Thailand, China, so many flavors of Buddhism.

PHOTO COMING

Still, it is such a small space really. I wonder how all the folks below fit in?

Lotus Sutra Chapter 1

Thus have I heard. Once upon a time the Lord was staying at Râgagriha, on the Gridhrakuta [Vulture Peak] mountain, with a numerous assemblage of monks, twelve hundred monks, all of them Arhats, stainless, free from depravity, self-controlled, thoroughly emancipated in thought and knowledge, of noble breed, (like unto) great elephants, having done their task, done their duty, acquitted their charge, reached the goal; in whom the ties which bound them to existence were wholly destroyed, whose minds were thoroughly emancipated by perfect knowledge, who had reached the utmost perfection in subduing all their thoughts; who were possessed of the transcendent faculties; eminent disciples, such as the venerable Agñâta-Kaundinya, the venerable Asvagit, the venerable Vâshpa, the venerable Mahânâman, the venerable Bhadrikal, the venerable Mahâ-Kâsyapa, the venerable Kâsyapa of Uruvilvâ, the venerable Kâsyapa of Nadi, the venerable Kâsyapa of Gayâ, the venerable Sâriputra, the venerable Mahâ-Maudgalyâyana, the venerable Mahâ-Kâtyâyana, the venerable Aniruddha, the venerable Revata, the venerable Kapphina, the venerable Gavâmpati, the venerable Pilindavatsa, the venerable Vakula, the venerable Bhâradvâga, the venerable Mahâ-Kaushthila, the venerable Nanda (alias Mahânanda), the venerable Upananda, the venerable Sundara-Nanda, the venerable Pûrna Maitrâyanîputra, the venerable Subhûti, the venerable Râhula; with them yet other great disciples, as the venerable Ananda, still under training, and two thousand other monks, some of whom still under training, the others masters; with six thousand nuns having at their head Mahâpragâpatî, and the nun Yasodharâ, the mother of Râhula, along with her train; (further) with eighty thousand Bodhisattvas, all unable to slide back, endowed with the spells of supreme, perfect enlightenment, firmly standing in wisdom; who moved onward the never deviating wheel of the law; who had propitiated many hundred thousands of Buddhas; who under many hundred thousands of Buddhas had planted the roots of goodness, had been intimate with many hundred thousands of Buddhas, were in body and mind fully penetrated with the feeling of charity; able in communicating the wisdom of the Tathâgatas; very wise, having reached the perfection of wisdom; renowned in many hundred thousands of worlds; having saved many hundred thousand myriads of kotis of beings; such as the Bodhisattva Mahâsattva Mañgusrî, as prince royal; the Bodhisattvas Mahâsattvas Avalokitesvara, Mahâsthâmaprâpta, Sarvarthanâman, Nityodyukta, Anikshiptadhura, Ratnakandra, Bhaishagyarâga, Pradânasûra, Ratnakandra, Ratnaprabha, Pûrnakandra, Mahivikrâmin, Trailokavikrâmin, Anantavikrâmin, Mahâpratibhâna, Satatasamitâbhiyukta, Dharanîdhara, Akshayamati, Padmasrî, Nakshatrarâga, the Bodhisattva Mahâsattva Maitreya, the Bodhisattva Mahâsattva Simha.

With them were also the sixteen virtuous men to begin with Bhadrapâla, to wit, Bhadrapâla, Ratnikara, Susârthavâha, Naradatta, Guhagupta, Varunadatta, Indradatta, Uttaramati, Viseshamati, Vardhamânamati, Amoghadarsin, Susamsthita, Suvikrântavikrâmin, Anupamamati, Sûryagarbha, and Dharanidhara; besides eighty thousand Bodhisattvas, among whom the fore-mentioned were the chiefs; further Sakra, the ruler of the celestials, with twenty thousand gods, his followers, such as the god Kandra (the Moon), the god Sûrya (the Sun), the god Samantagandha (the Wind), the god Ratnaprabha, the god Avabhâsaprabha, and others; further, the four great rulers of the cardinal points with thirty thousand gods in their train, viz. the great ruler Virûdhaka, the great ruler Virûpâksha, the great ruler Dhritarâshtra, and the great ruler Vaisravana; the god Îsvara and the god Mahesvara, each followed by thirty thousand gods; further, Brahma Sahdmpati and his twelve thousand followers, the BrahmakAyika gods, amongst whom Brahma Sikhin and Brahma Gyotishprabha, with the other twelve thousand Brahmakdyika gods; together with the eight Nâga kings and many hundred thousand myriads of kotis of Nigas in their train, viz. the Nâga king Nanda, the Nâga king Upananda, Sâgara, Vâsuki, Takshaka, Manasvin, Anavatapta, and Utpalaka; further, the four Kinnara kings with many hundred thousand myriads of kotis of followers, viz. the Kinnara king Druma, the Kinnara king Mahâdharma, the Kinnara king Sudharma, and the Kinnara king Dharmadhara; besides, the four divine beings (called) Gandharvakâyikas with many hundred thousand Gandharvas in their suite, viz. the Gandharva Manogña, the Gandharva Manogñasvara, the Gandharva Madhura, and the Gandharva Madhurasvara; further, the four chiefs of the demons followed by many hundred thousand myriads of kotis of demons, viz. the chief of the demons Bali, Kharaskandha, Vemakitri, and Râhu; along with the four Garuda chiefs followed by many hundred thousand myriads of kotis of Garudas, viz. the Garuda chiefs Mahâtegas, Mahâkâya, Mahâpûrna, and Mahârddhiprâpta, and with Agâtasatru, king of Magadha, the son of Vaidehi.

Gassho, Jundo (SatToday in Sarnath, the Deer Park)

In the meantime, me on a camel with friend since we were kids, John ...

camels small.jpg

[Sekishi]

Dear All,
PHOTO COMING

Still, it is such a small space really. I wonder how all the folks below fit in?

There are some photos on the Wikipedia page. It is a smaller space than one might expect...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vulture_Peak

Gassho,
Sekishi

#sattoday