Bodhgaya - The Heart of Enlightenment

A small temple beneath the Bodhi tree, Bodh Gaya, built in 7th century, after the original built by Mauryan Emperor Ashoka in 3rd century BC, ca. 1810

Following our departure from the Ganges of Varanasi we found ourselves on route to the small town of Bodhgaya. Simply put, the town was built around an important religious symbol - the Bodhi Tree, the site under which Siddhartha Gautama, the spiritual teacher and founder of Buddhism later known as Gautama Buddha, achieved enlightenment. As such, this historic place is now a popular destination for Buddhist followers making a pilgrimage, as well as foreign tourists hoping to capture a piece of history.

Here is the Wiki-short of the story:

According to Buddhist traditions, circa 500 BC Prince Gautama Siddhartha, wandering as an ascetic, reached the sylvan banks of Falgu River, near the city of Gaya. There he sat in meditation under a bodhi tree (Ficus religiosa). After three days and three nights of meditation, Siddharta attained enlightenment and insight, and the answers that he had sought. He then spent seven weeks at seven different spots in the vicinity meditating and considering his experience. After seven weeks, he travelled to Sarnath, where he began teaching Buddhism.

Disciples of Gautama Siddhartha began to visit the place where he had gained enlightenment during the full moon in the month of Vaisakh (April-May), as per the Hindu calendar. Over time, the place became known as Bodh Gaya, the day of enlightenment as Buddha Purnima, and the tree as the Bodhi Tree.

The difference between Varanasi and Bodhgaya was steep. The smaller town was much less busy and bustling, with only the rare rikshaw driver hassling you from afar. The place was also set in a much cleaner landscape with a fresher grade of air and less trash scattered among the streets and ditches. A cultural difference also existed, with the surrounding population being seemingly more peaceful and well kept. The heart of Varanasi lay in the flowing waters of the Ganges, where as the beating centre of Bodhgaya was the over-arching Bodhi tree and surrounding temple. A visit to tree was much more moving than that of the Ganges. Although the site is somewhat masked with a tourist veil compared to what it used to be, it hasn't lost the peaceful power which seem to flow from the roots of the large tree outward to its leaves which periodically get knocked down to earth following a rolling breeze. I can't begin to speculate as to what it might feel like to 'attain enlightment' but it must involve some higher level of mental clarity earned after spending a long time wandering the inner caverns of ones mind. The place is in itself truly peaceful, and it's easy to see how one could spend hours, weeks, months and even years under the Bodhi branches seeking such clarity.

In the short time that I did have at the site, I decided to sit down under the swaying leaves and seek a little slice of peace from our busy travels. I watched the tourists and traveling monks scramble (and at times compete) to catch the leaves which had freshly fallen. I sat cross-legged on a mat under the tree and was soon greeted by a canine local who wanted nothing more than a head scratch and friend to lay down beside. I stroked the fur of his forehead backward and coaxed him to lay down and rest his head on the mat in the adjacent empty space.



As he lay down (very content, as I am a skilled head-petter) I rest my hand on his fur covered chest and felt his heart beat within its cage. And as my thoughts were on pace with the beats I was soon surprised to find a leaf that had fallen and floated its way into the middle of my crossed legs. A smile swept my face and I grasped a small slice of clarity in perspective. The lesson hinged on the shortness of our time here on earth.

Our hearts are beating clocks caged in our mortality and counting down to an inevitable release.

Although we don't find ourselves under a Bodhi tree, searching our souls for enlightenment, each day, wherever we may be, we are challenged to navigate the caverns of our thoughts and emotions in the hope of achieving some level of clarity or enlightenment - a search for peace and happiness for ourselves, our loved ones, and all of humanity.

How far have you traveled today towards enlightenment?


Future Travels:
- Darjeeling (North East Hill Station)
- Sikkim
- Back to Mumbai

Lessons Learned:
- Stop and feel a beating heart other than your own - live knowing it will stop, love knowing one day it will be free

On the Mind:
- Mortality
- Inner Peace
- A Heart.