Buddha's Birthday

Last night we emerged from the Kalash Hotel, where we had watched the most incredible show-a one man Tibetan free-form spirited dance and song, by a guy who calls himself "Lion Man"-his Tibetan hair frizzed out in the first "fro I've seen on a Tibetan, so we emerged from this mind-blowing experience to the crowded Jogiwara street and saw dozens upon dozens of dark-skinned Indians jumping down from open pick-ups, handing bundles of dirty rags and equally dirty children to each other, the kids, as soon as their bare feet hit the broken pavement, begin a chorus of begging, having beenwell-trained to never miss an opportunity to get a rupee. The men put bundles on their backs and the women on their heads and children follow in small herds trotting down Jogiwara lane-where are they going?
I found out this morning as Danny and I walked at 5:30 am to the Temple to join in with the crowds of prayer-wheel twirling Tibetans who also were headed to Temple to join even more in the ritual of "kora" or circumambulating clock-wise around the prayer wheels that are stationed all along the temple walls and then the large path around the whole compound, which is known as "big kora" or forest kora. We did about 10 laps of kora at the temple with monks, lay people young and old, and the temple dogs (regular dogs are not seen here in the temple area, only little fluffy ones who trot along with the people doing what I believe their breed is bred to do-they are Lhasas, or temple dogs). Then we went out to big kora, the long trail that winds around the Dalai Lama complex and grounds and through a forest and out again, with amazing views of HImalayas and the valley below, taking about a half hour to complete one round. Wow! Right away we saw hords of Indians, the ones who were disembarking last night, sitting along the trail, both sides-waking up, throwing off dirty, tattered rags, starting small cooking fires, children crying for milk, and old men blowing out each nostril. The mass of poor humanity was overwhelming at first, they sit right at the edge of the narrow trail, practically touching your feet, but we were not alone, far from it-hundreds of Tibetans were on the trail with us, chanting softly and handing out coins when they felt moved. We walked along, with side glances at beggars in all states, some missing limbs, some with very advanced leporsy, missing fingers and toes, skin ozzing with sores. Some had some affliction I don't know what it was-it was as if the skin was literally melting off their bones, bloodied and puss ridden-in places bare bones protuding from rotten flesh...it was horrible to look at and yet I had an immense curiosity about what they could be infected with? One beggar was in such a sorry state, he only had a bloodied limb protruding from a filthy white blanket that covered his whole body except for an eye and this mangled limb pointing at us. Where the path turns towards "home" the pilgrims lean into a hill and trudge slowly up, here there were the most beggars now chanting for money and rupees from us, pushing children into our paths and many, many hands reaching for our clothes and our hands in desparate pleading for anything. So this is what the Buddha experienced, I was thinking, as he left his protected world of his father's palace and wandered among the masses-and saw sickness, old age, and death. Happy Birthday Buddha, I also reflected-it is the day to observe his birth to the Tibetans, and the shops are closed, hundreds of monks are chanting all around us and lights are strung, butter lamps lit, in honor of the Buddha's teachings. And so knowing this is such an auspicious day, that every deed done this day can be multiplied by hundreds for good karma for the next life, prostrations are done to the Buddha, kora rounds are walked over and over, and donations are made. The Hindu Indians, knowing the generosity and practice of the Buddhists, especially on this day, have come by the truckload to take advantage of this observance. Yeshe, our Tibetan friend, and I hurry back to my room because I have an idea. I have brought bags of nice clothes from the USA and if we load up some shoulder bags with them, I can pass them out to the naked, poor children I have seen. Yeshe agrees it's a good idea and helps me. I pick out one of the soft cloth dolls my friend Peggy made and sent with me, for a special girl. We head back to big kora.
Yeshe instructs me to follow behind, he pulls out an article of cloting at a time to hand to me and I drop it quickly in the lap of a beggar on the trail. We walk fast, this way avoiding a full scale riot. Our plans works beautifully. We get all the clothes passed out and even find the beggars love the clothes, seemingly more than money even, and laugh and clap their approval. Oh my, when I think of all the donated clothes I had to leave behind because of lack of space in my bags.
Towards the end of the trail, I begin to scan the lines of beggars for a little girl that calls to me. I see her, sitting quietly with a red shirt that is too big for her rail thin body, her legs bare. Her bossier neighbors are loudly exclaiming towards the kora walkers, but she sits looking at a coin in her hand that has somehow not been swiped away from her. I motion for her to come to me, she seems so surprised, a little scared. Her mother, seeing a "forangi" wanting her daughter, pushes her with a big shove towards me and yells at her. I pull out the doll and there is almost a gasp from the crowd at the exotic beauty of it in this mass of tattered human beings. I push it into her arms and she clutches at it in disbelieve. Would any one in the States ever believe something so simple could bring such happiness to a child? And for a doll that cost less than a Starbucks latte? Yeshe takes my camera and makes a picture-I will try to post a photo of this to put it on my blog here later, when Danny is around to help.
Much more humble, and feeling like a god (how's that for feeling humble!!)just because not only was I born human but a healthy, fully limbed human,without open sores or lepoprsy, without twisted limbs and on top of my fully limbed and healhty body, I am educated and have a good job, a wonderful family. And the world's best dog. So this is my meditation today as I observe Buddha's birthday with all my Tibetan friends. "May all beings know happiness and the roots of happiness, may they be free from suffering and the roots of suffering."-the Buddha