It's a dark, rainy day here. Perfect for me to sit and update you on my doings. First of all, I think everyone here was ready for December to end and things get back to normal (whatever that is!). We had a lot happening around Christmas, much more than I'm accustomed to, and it was so accessible and easy. As happy as I was to put it behind me, I just got Christmas items stored yesterday!! I was ready to get it out of sight, I just didn't want to actually do it! Anyway, it's over for another year!
Thanks to one and all for the Christmas greetings. I loved the cards, e-cards, calls, and messages in all forms, but there was only one envelope that tickled my fancy! I'm not sure what gave David this idea, but I loved it.
Another high point of early January was seeing the Buddhist monks who are walking 2,300 miles from Ft. Worth, Texas to Washington, DC for peace. I had been following them for a while online, and they were supposed to come right through Laurens County, but at the last minute, they changed their schedule. So, I went to bed undecided. The next morning, when I checked my tablet, the first screen was of them, giving their location for lunch about 50 miles away. I plugged it into my GPS, and off Rosie and I went. They were having lunch at Liberty Hill Lookout, which turned out to be an abandoned lookout tower and residence in the middle of nowhere!! Even so, several hundred people were there to greet them. As the numbers have risen, I realized how lucky I was to see them there. It was before Aloka, their trusty dog, left for surgery, before crowds grew so large, and before one of the older monks returned to his temple in France. He is the one in the red hat who always had a wonderful smile. While the setting was pretty inhospitable, the monks made themselves at home, and the crowd was respectful and attentive. There was a sumptuous lunch prepared for them, by whom I'm not sure. My feeling was that it was local Asian residents who tended the table and served the food. I had a spot at one end of the table and could see each monk as they passed by. Venerable Bhikkau Pannakara, the lead monk, served himself last, and before eating, they did a wonderful chant. They sat on the ground along the edge of a square tarp, with Aloka, their trusty companion, resting in the middle. While they ate, I went back to the car and gave Rosie a little walk and a snack. By the time I got back, the lead monk was getting ready to speak to the crowd. He spoke quietly and calmly about peace, loving-kindness, mindfulness, and compassion. While he spoke, Aloka was lying right behind him, accepting love from one and all.
An amazing observation was their calm, unhurried manner. It is this that sets the tone for all they do. It seemed to encourage more of the same, for the crowd was quiet, attentive, and respectful. As if walking that much, that far, each and every day wasn't enough, I became aware that they are all carrying bags. Most of them carry two! One contains their bowls for eating, and I have no idea what else. Their schedule is also very demanding. They rise and set out early, stopping for lunch around noon. This involves lunch, greeting people, and speaking. Then, they do the same thing in their evening stop, with visiting hours ending around 9 PM! That's a long day! Since seeing them, I always check their feet now! The day I saw them, Venerable Bhikkau Pannakara was wearing thick socks only. When they started out the next day, the balls of both feet were bandaged with no socks or shoes (the monk behind him had his feet bandaged the same way, except each toe was also individually bandaged). I can't imagine how their feet feel at the end of the day, and the damage long-term walking has done. They really are impressive, and I'm so glad I saw them. It's also been interesting to follow them after seeing them. The crowds have been building, which is encouraging. I wish them well in every step of their journey.
The only negative thing about it was a young "preacher" with a loudspeaker! He ranted on the entire time, and I couldn't help but think of the damage he was doing to his own religion. Buddhists don't think of Buddhism as a religion, but as a practice, a way of being. It complements any and all religions.....but this young man didn't know this. He went on and on, telling us we were going to hell, Jesus was the only way, etc. At one point, the lead monk gave him a bottle of water and invited him for food, but he righteously declined. I, for one, thought his religion appeared very small and limiting. But, as I said, the crowd ignored him and appreciated the monks.
