BODH GAYA AND THE TREE OF ENLIGHTENMENT

As soon as Liz was paroled from the meditation center at Dammha Bodhi, Kip thought it would be nice to "ease her back into Indian life" by visiting one of the most sacred Buddhist sites in India: The Bodhi Tree, under which Buddha was sitting when he achieved enlightenment.

After the typically exciting ride in an auto-rickshaw, we neared the entrance to the temple and were greeted by hundreds of hawker stalls selling everything from fruits and vegetables to live animals and religious trinkets.  Also, a resident cow, not on sale, claimed her space in the middle of the stairs, gently mooing at the passing pilgrims.  

In addition to feral bovines and friendly canines, Kip spotted twin baby goats running around. Not one to pass up petting any type of animal, Liz picked one up for a quick cuddle. Worried the other goat may feel left out, Kip snatched up the identical twin while a nearby vendor snapped a photo while laughing hilariously. 

Only in India do local people find it odd that tourists love to pet animals while no one blinks an eye at the the fact that homeless farm animals wander aimlessly around one of the most holy sites in the world. 

After all the area animals had been properly petted and attended to, Liz was ready to see the main attraction: The Mahabodhi Temple complex. This temple is the most important Buddhist site in India and home to a direct descendant of what is rightly one of the world's most famous trees. 

Despite the hawkers and the bustle of hundreds of other visitors, the complex remains a deeply spiritual place. Chanting monks fill every corner and flower-carrying devotees shuffle around the main temple constantly. 

And then there's the tree...if only they'd had the holy Bodhi in the meditation center where we spent so many days in thoughtful silence, perhaps we too could have found something closer to enlightenment.

A close up view of the temple entrance.

A view of the Mahabodhi temple from "afar."

The placard explaining the significance of the holy tree in the background. 

A meditating monk.

More meditating monks, under the Bodhi tree.

FUNNY MONDAY: BUDDHA LIKES ONLINE DONATIONS

While visiting the famous temples of Bodh Gaya, after our time spent in prison the meditation center, we came across this incredible sign, and a man putting on his socks.  Buddha sure was enlightened if he had the forethought to set up online donations before his death in 483 BC.  Now that is enlightening.

And as a bonus, Liz found this tough looking security guard's green and purple knitted booties to be highly amusing.

10 DAYS OF SILENCE AND MEDITATION

Maybe all the travel had us stressed out, maybe too many yoga-loving people in India talked us into it, or maybe because we knew Julia Roberts did it in Eat, Pray, Love (Kip denies any knowledge of this last bit), we decided to enroll in a 10-day Vipassana meditation course. 

Before you go buying us Kool-Aid or a ticket on the Hale-Bopp spaceship, understand that we knew little about the course beforehand, other than it involved a vow of complete silence and lots of sitting still in deep thought. And no, in case you're wondering, neither of us had ever meditated before.

Liz's home for 12 days.

But we were optimistic. The course would take place in the holy site of Bodh Gaya, where prince Siddhartha Gautama became "The Buddha" and found enlightenment while meditating under a Bodhi tree. We figured if a regular person could become Buddha here through meditation, maybe the two of us could at least put in a few days of deep thought and find some nugget of universal truth. Or at least get a couple peaceful night's sleep. Plus, it was free!


Our earliest moment of true enlightenment came on the very first day...after viewing the daily schedule. For the next 12 days (note to anyone interested: the "10-day" course is actually 12 days; arrange travel plans accordingly...), we would have a total of two vegetarian meals per day, we would be waking up at 4 am, and we would be sitting cross-legged in complete silence for 12 hours each day.

The beautiful pagoda that housed our "cells" for
meditation.

Those who know Liz will sympathize with the pre-sunrise wake up calls. Those who know Kip understand there's no way he's eating just two veggie meals per day.

Most of all, those who are human realize 12 hours is a LOT of sitting still quietly. Cross legged. On the floor. Not to mention, the first three days we soon found out would be spent contemplating our nostrils, literally. Man, we can say we know our nostrils REALLY well, now.

On the positive side, the grounds were vibrant, covered with flowers, trees, and an ornate, gilded pagoda. The sound of rustling leaves and birdsong filled the contemplative silence--most of the time. However, the walkways of the compound were covered with gravel, and the crunching sound of sandal on rock became excruciatingly loud after a few days of "nobal silence." The cacophony grew all the more grating once all the participants began doing what Kip nicknamed the "Dhamma Shuffle," caused by people so bored out of their minds that they drag their feet s-l-o-w-l-y on the way to and from meditation. 

Spelling is not important. Nobal silence is important.

In addition to the mind-numbing silence, lack of eye-contact (not allowed), and any kind of stimulation (no reading, exercising, etc.) we also had to deal with the natural noises of those around us. This being India, if  bodily functions marked the path to enlightenment, the subcontinent would be home to more Buddhas than beggars. 

It's difficult to explain the amount of belching, coughing, sniffing, and yes, farting, that exited so very audibly and frequently from this particular group of around 30 locals and 30 peace-seeking foreigners. Kip swears the longest unbroken span of total silence during the more than 100 hours of group meditation reached 14 seconds. Once. And he had lots of time to count.

Men and women were separated, but we could see each other hobbling around every now and again like elderly octogenarians after a game of lawn bowling.  Day two (really day three, but it's not like we were making hash marks in blood on the walls of our cells...) Kip passed Liz a note (totally illegal). She all too joyously packed her bags and was ready to get the heck out, too, as he was. 

But she didn't. Neither did Kip...at least until day eight (quitter!).

If you were wondering how we (Liz) felt after ten days of silence, this is a pretty accurate representation. All in all, we are really glad we did the course. It was certainly an experience.  Liz wavered between wanting to run out of the room screaming, and considering taking the 45-day course. Kip wavered between sleep, hunger, and scaling the razor wire-topped walls for a long run, a warm cheese burger and a cold beer.

One of the many beautiful flowers surrounding the grounds.

Despite the fact that it was probably one of the most difficult (physically, mentally, totally) things we've ever done, it was an incredibly valuable experience and we're glad we did it.  Liz isn't planning on signing up for another course for at least another week or two. Kip still can't believe he lasted as long as he did, but he is proud he realized he could sit for an entire hour without moving...while listening to other people burp, cough, and fart quite freely, which was certainly enlightening, at least for him.

Liz found it hilarious that her toilet was branded with
a completely ripped off Continental Airlines logo. It was
also one of the only things she could read for 12 days...

A view of the meditation cell. Yes, cell,
just like in prison.

Into the unknown at the Dhamma Bodhi center in Bodh Gaya...

BUDDHA'S BIRTHPLACE IN NEPAL

A monk chants under a fig tree at the site of the birthplace of Buddha in Lumbini, Nepal.

Lumbini--the birthplace of Siddhārtha Gautama Buddha, is one of the four most important Buddhist pilgrimage sites (the others being: Bodh Gaya, Sarnath, and Kushinagar). The site and small town nearby also sit conveniently next to the border with India, our next stop, so we decided to visit.

The town itself isn't much, particularly considering its historical significance. The guest house we stayed at was probably the worst of the whole trip, and that's saying something, but at $5 per night, it was almost worth it, mosquitoes and all. The bathroom featured a dirty squat toilet, a leaky tap, and a filthy bucket. And then there was the roach that crawled across Liz's chest in the night. Kip was just annoyed that her yelp woke him up ("Roaches don't bite. Shhhh!"). We've experienced lots of bugs on this trip.

Luxury hotels aside, the temple complex is actually quite nice. The most important site is the Maya Devi Temple (seen above), which has a stone marking the "actual" spot where Queen Mayadevi gave birth to Prince Siddhartha, who later became Buddha.

Due to the number of pilgrims inside, an the fact that they don't allow photos, we can't show the exact stone, but it's inside the white building, where lots of pilgrims come to meditate and worship.

Just outside, a long tree-lined road, cut by a canal, leads on to the Lumbini Peace Pagoda. The area is bordered by a crane sanctuary, a habitat set aside for the rare Sarus Cranes in the area.  We were fortunate enough to see one sqwak and fly over our heads as we rode past on our bicycles.

A Sarus Crane searches for food in the Lumbini Crane Conservation Center next door to Buddha's birthplace.

In addition to a crane sanctuary, there are quite a few signs along the way that we found interesting. One ended up as last week's Funny Monday. This sign, which we wish we could read, seems a bit out of place. Heading into India. That's all for now.

Was Buddha big into wrestling?

Nice that the site includes trash receptacles. Interesting they separate their rottens from non-rottens.

It was a full moon. Almost. It was pretty.

In addition to the cranes, Lumbini is also home to monkeys. Lots of them, actually, living right along the road, but they're far outnumbered by roaches and mosquitoes.

THE TEMPLES OF BAGAN

The ancient city of Bagan, dotted with hundreds of stunning temples, is best explained through photos (particularly when internet connections don't allow for much else). 

Above and below are a few. 

Leaving Myanmar soon...NEPAL AND EVEREST HERE WE COME. 

WORLD'S LARGEST, STRANGEST RECLINING BUDDHA

Looking like a flea on the great Buddha's shoulder, Kip (see blue arrow) peers from a trap door we found.

Why more tourists don't come check out what must be the world's largest--and strangest--reclining Buddha, we'll never know. At nearly 600-ft long and ten stories high, Zina-thu-kha Yan Aung Chan-tha is an architectural marvel by itself. Yet, it's what's inside and surrounding the super-sized statue that should shift it to the top of anyone's must see list for Myanmar.

More akin to a 50-acre Buddhist Disneyland than a solemn place of worship, "Buddha's Playground" can be difficult to describe. Hopefully, the following photos will help.

Lining the entrance to the Park, some 200 stone monks, begging bowls in hand, march solemnly toward the big Buddha. 

The line of saffron-robed men stretches for more than a kilometer, crossing over the road by elevated bridge, heading through a wooded area and finally disappearing over a small hill.

Once beyond the monks the main attraction comes into view, dwarfing everything around it, including homes, store fronts, the surrounding hills and more than 100 temples, pagodas and other shrines built nearby.
Above, that's Kip on the scooter heading toward the Buddha. A basketball court could almost fit on one of the statue's unpainted feet. A pedicure must cost a small fortune.

The 60-ft high seated monk above with bright pink lips is more a diversion than a focal point, though the scaffolding encircling his bald head gives him the appearance of the horror film character Pinhead, only somewhat less menacing.

In addition to strange outdoor statues, the Park even features its own water slide and swimming area at the base of the Reclining Buddha (left). Boys and girls, all fully dressed, raced up and down the five slides during our visit. 

Once inside the cavernous statue, things get truly interesting. More an unfinished construction project than a place of reverence, there's little in the entire statue that's 100 percent finished. The smell of wet concrete, sawdust and paint follow you every step. 

Below left, Liz poses inside one of the Buddha's concrete toes, which, like many other parts of the statue, awaits finishing touches. 

Below right, a boy puts a primer coat of paint on a statue that will fill one of the 182 rooms inside the Buddha. 

In addition to the traditional depictions of the Lord Buddha's enlightenment, you'll see so much more. 

We found life-size images of ancient sea creatures flying through the air, of bull elephants stomping bleeding men, of harems of topless women servicing a prince, and of the devil himself (at left) either pouring glowing coals on suffering victims or helping warm up a clothing-optional jacuzzi.

In addition to the oddities, you will find beauty, as well. 

Below, thousands of miniature Buddha statues covered in dust wait for their turn to decorate a nearby wall or ceiling.

If you can find a window or hidden passageway, get yourself outside the Buddha, where the views are spectacular. 

Above, the vista from the Buddha's shoulder, looking down at the water slide and across to a construction area, then Pinhead to the right, backed by a small lake and beyond that miles of greenery.

Though the Buddha Park remains a work in progress, it's one of the most fascinating man-made attractions we've seen in Asia. 

So if you find yourself in Myanmar with a bit of time and are looking for an off-the beaten track adventure, go check it out. 

Our bet is you'll be glad you did. 

(The Buddha Park is located 20 km south of Mawlmine, Myanmar)