Hi Folks !
How are you and how's life ?!
Tell me, have you been exhilarated and exhausted, thrilled and tuckered out all at the same time ?!
I was, for over a month and a half and I want to tell you about it !
It started with my exciting New Year dash in thick fog from Chandigarh to New Delhi to catch a train to Jaipur in the middle of the night.
If 1st of Jan was so dramatic, I knew the whole year was going to be eventful !
Back in Pune later, there was a sudden urge to minimize and streamline all my stuff.
So I spring-cleaned and gave away most of my great stuff - books, lovely sarees, so many things collected over so many years - and it was such a joy to give to dear friends and relatives and even more to see them enjoying it all!
Suddenly there were scores of sessions, special Pali classes in the University, finances to be put in order on paper, and I felt I was on a roller coaster.
A chance meeting with 2 Vietnamese nuns on 1st February, gave me the information about a new University which had opened in Myanmar where only 20 students would be admitted for the MA programmes.
I applied, sent off the documents, an essay, a write-up - all within 5 days, later gave the online exam and interview and - yes, !
I am now at the Shan State Buddhist University in Taunggyi, in Shan State to do their 2- year MA course in Pali !
I am thrilled at this turning in my life at this stage in my life.
It's great being a student again, at 63, great to share a big room with 3 others for a few months ! I'd never lived a hostel life before !
Myanmar - or Burma as we've known that name for so long - is very, very different from India.
This is my third visit, and I've been watching it's people keenly since many years.
It's a Buddhist country, and the one thing I admire about it is the way they have imbibed the teachings of morality in their mind-sets, their day-to-day behaviour.
They are soft-spoken, do not brag, are humble and honest and try to lead a holy life without hurting or harming others.
The main cause could be the absence of castes in Buddhism.
I watch with interest as people come from all walks of life to the monasteries and donate whatever they can.
Everything is accepted with gratitude and blessings given earnestly. Donations are given as the Burmese believe they collect merits (good karma) by doing so. The difference is, there's no showing off, no loud singing, or louder chanting, everything is low key.
The University's buildings and the meals of the monks are sustained on donations. Some are rich, but you wouldn't know so from their behaviour. The ladies, entire families right from grandma to the young lads and pretty girls come and some times even cook the meal here.
It's buffet, so the tables are laid out. Once the monks leave, they wash the plates of us too, insisting on doing so. They have their meals last, once they are sure all have eaten. And all this, joyfully, not as a chore or to tick any box or brag.
I've seen birthdays and anniversaries celebrated in this manner, when groups of friends from a locality or from a school/institute working together offer this food donation.
Another thing which stunned (and made me very happy) is the lack of caste system here.
Once the monks have their meal, others, including us, the lay students and office staff and the kitchen staff and site-workers can occupy any table and we eat the same food.
There is no table 'specially reserved' for any one, which is not to be touched or sprinkled with holy water and barricaded away.
I see that Buddhism treats everyone equally.
I'd seen this in Sri Lanka too.
We were invited for lunch and the couple called the driver to eat with us at the same table along with us. He took part in the conversation as an equal because he is also used to being treated with respect as a human, and not treated separately as a 'driver'.
Here in Taunggyi. my room mate called for the taxi she always uses to go shopping. Our campus is a little distance away from the main city.
He's like family, she said easily and when we started, and I said I wanted to eat veg food some place, he actually took us to his own house where his mother cooked some veg dishes 'for the Indian guest'!
I cant imagine this happening in India, not for a long time to come as the divides are being made sharper and more and more vicious.
Myanmar sure has its own problems, but their humane nature is very endearing and humbling.
I shall be posting from here for the next 2 years !
All of you who have wishes and desires, work towards them.
Start removing the obstacles from your side.
Make peace with yourself and others.
Let go.
Be happy.
And meditate !
How are you and how's life ?!
Tell me, have you been exhilarated and exhausted, thrilled and tuckered out all at the same time ?!
I was, for over a month and a half and I want to tell you about it !
It started with my exciting New Year dash in thick fog from Chandigarh to New Delhi to catch a train to Jaipur in the middle of the night.
If 1st of Jan was so dramatic, I knew the whole year was going to be eventful !
Back in Pune later, there was a sudden urge to minimize and streamline all my stuff.
So I spring-cleaned and gave away most of my great stuff - books, lovely sarees, so many things collected over so many years - and it was such a joy to give to dear friends and relatives and even more to see them enjoying it all!
Suddenly there were scores of sessions, special Pali classes in the University, finances to be put in order on paper, and I felt I was on a roller coaster.
A chance meeting with 2 Vietnamese nuns on 1st February, gave me the information about a new University which had opened in Myanmar where only 20 students would be admitted for the MA programmes.
I applied, sent off the documents, an essay, a write-up - all within 5 days, later gave the online exam and interview and - yes, !
I am now at the Shan State Buddhist University in Taunggyi, in Shan State to do their 2- year MA course in Pali !
I am thrilled at this turning in my life at this stage in my life.
It's great being a student again, at 63, great to share a big room with 3 others for a few months ! I'd never lived a hostel life before !
Myanmar - or Burma as we've known that name for so long - is very, very different from India.
This is my third visit, and I've been watching it's people keenly since many years.
It's a Buddhist country, and the one thing I admire about it is the way they have imbibed the teachings of morality in their mind-sets, their day-to-day behaviour.
They are soft-spoken, do not brag, are humble and honest and try to lead a holy life without hurting or harming others.
The main cause could be the absence of castes in Buddhism.
I watch with interest as people come from all walks of life to the monasteries and donate whatever they can.
Everything is accepted with gratitude and blessings given earnestly. Donations are given as the Burmese believe they collect merits (good karma) by doing so. The difference is, there's no showing off, no loud singing, or louder chanting, everything is low key.
The University's buildings and the meals of the monks are sustained on donations. Some are rich, but you wouldn't know so from their behaviour. The ladies, entire families right from grandma to the young lads and pretty girls come and some times even cook the meal here.
It's buffet, so the tables are laid out. Once the monks leave, they wash the plates of us too, insisting on doing so. They have their meals last, once they are sure all have eaten. And all this, joyfully, not as a chore or to tick any box or brag.
I've seen birthdays and anniversaries celebrated in this manner, when groups of friends from a locality or from a school/institute working together offer this food donation.
Another thing which stunned (and made me very happy) is the lack of caste system here.
Once the monks have their meal, others, including us, the lay students and office staff and the kitchen staff and site-workers can occupy any table and we eat the same food.
There is no table 'specially reserved' for any one, which is not to be touched or sprinkled with holy water and barricaded away.
I see that Buddhism treats everyone equally.
I'd seen this in Sri Lanka too.
We were invited for lunch and the couple called the driver to eat with us at the same table along with us. He took part in the conversation as an equal because he is also used to being treated with respect as a human, and not treated separately as a 'driver'.
Here in Taunggyi. my room mate called for the taxi she always uses to go shopping. Our campus is a little distance away from the main city.
He's like family, she said easily and when we started, and I said I wanted to eat veg food some place, he actually took us to his own house where his mother cooked some veg dishes 'for the Indian guest'!
I cant imagine this happening in India, not for a long time to come as the divides are being made sharper and more and more vicious.
Myanmar sure has its own problems, but their humane nature is very endearing and humbling.
I shall be posting from here for the next 2 years !
All of you who have wishes and desires, work towards them.
Start removing the obstacles from your side.
Make peace with yourself and others.
Let go.
Be happy.
And meditate !
2 comments:
Such an amazing opportunity you have got mam, all the best wishes to you and have a good time. Will keep reading your blogs.
It is quite impressive to learn Pali.
But I am having this nagging question, how come these peaceful people were so harsh with Bangladeshis. And even if the monks didn't took part they sort of supported it or didn't do anything to stop it.
Keep it up. Nice blog.
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