My portable meditation cushion.
Getting colder in the mornings. That’s why you can see the fog at the background. It is 17 degrees this morning, and would slowly drop to 12 degrees in the mornings by end of next week.
Here, I thought I would compare 3 of the 4 main Buddhist sites that I have visited: (the 4th being in Nepal and my Indian eVisa does not allow me to come back into India via a land border)
1. Dhamekh Stupa, Sarnath.
– because of the entry fee, there are limited visitors to the site.
– it has a quiet park feel to it.
2. Maha Bodhi Temple grounds, Bodhgaya.
– lots of visitors, which creates a pulsating energy.
– with the pulsating energy of everyone praying, meditating, prostrating, chanting, etc, one gets external motivation to do one’s own pratice as well.
– with the crowds of devotees, there are also the many beggars around, shops, people selling things, guides, etc.
3. Maha Parinirvana Temple/Stupa, Kushinagar.
– more groups of visitors than the Dhamekh Stupa, Sarnath, but not as many regular visitors like the Maha Bodhi Temple, even though the Maha Parinirvana Temple is also free.
– instead of the pulsating energy around the whole Maha Bodhi Temple grounds, there is a quieter, more tranquil energy centred around the Maha Parinirvana temple.
– I see people meditating in the temple and just around the temple, where the energy seems to be more internally driven.
– there are also much fewer beggars here than the Maha Bodhi Temple.
This is how I am going to compare the energy of the Maha Bodhi Temple and the energy of the Maha Parinirvana Temple. The Maha Bodhi Temple is like being in a discotheque, there, with the loud music, with everyone around dancing, makes you want to join in, dance and feel the music. The Maha Parinirvana Temple is like “hearing” a persistent music in your head, that makes you want to hum, sing, or just feel the music.
For your information, I used to be a goer of discotheques.
The group was speaking Bahasa. So, I am guessing they are from Indonesia.
Japan Sri Lanka Buddhist Centre, Kushinagar.
Japan Sri Lanka Buddhist Centre, Kushinagar.
Japan Sri Lanka Buddhist Centre, Kushinagar.
A mix of Sri Lankan and Japanese.
Japan Sri Lanka Buddhist Centre, Kushinagar.
Japan Sri Lanka Buddhist Centre, Kushinagar. 40 Rupees.
This is my first souvenir (and maybe last souvenir?)
I think I haven’t visited a Korean Temple before.
The actual physical distribution of the Buddha’s relics was done at the cremation site.
This is where Buddha’s body is said to have been cremated.
Meals starting from 99 Rupees or about S$1.50.
Too sweet for me. I didn’t finish the ice cream.
Oh, they serve Indian food instead.
Quite delicious.
Because the garlic fried rice was spicy, I had 3 cups of the water.
Took a selfie when there aren’t many people around.
He is studying in a college now.
I ordered a paneer roll 60 Rupees, veg fried rice 50 Rupees, and a veg pakora (spelled pakoda here) 50 Rupees.
When the maggi soup came, I thought pakora had a different meaning here. And even asked the waiter if that was the veg pakoda. He nodded yes.
When the veg pakora came, I was confused. Somehow a veg maggi was served to me. The waiter also doesn’t seemed to know. I had already eaten some of the veg maggi.
When settling the bill, I explained to the person in charge, and the veg maggi was waived off.
The food was good. I might come back here again since it is just outside the Tibetan temple where I am staying.
I am now considering cutting short my India trip and seeing how to get back to Singapore. Would keep you posted.
Will travel 