We saw many people going where there and everywhere. It was seven o' clock in the evening on the fourth of May in 2010, when we were on our way home from the long pilgrimage around Sri Lanka. It started drizzling and getting darker and darker while we were talking over this and that dealing with our last journey after getting out of our van.
Carrying each drinking water-bottle and some necessary things, we commenced our journey feeling like a flying bird in the sky. Along the way, we were encouragingly greeted by people singing a song for pleasure and wearing sweet smiles, regardless of being tired. After about thirty minutes later, our ears and hearts were touched with the sound of flowing streams and of singing birds as if a close friend. It is the rocky path that goes up like a snake’s moving tail, and that is so wet, steep and slippery that we can fall down from the cliff edge at the moment we are out of balance.
While everything around except the sound of steps was silent, a heavy breath became a loud noise. In spite of the fact that we continued up without any heavy things to carry, our knees were shaking; our throats were burning with thirst and also our stomachs were crying for food. Suddenly, came out a weary voice: ‘‘OK, buddies, let's take a rest for a moment’’. There was neither argument nor reply to it among us except the decision to do so. The question is why. The answer is because everybody was ready to have a rest, feeling dead-tired at that moment.
When we sat down on the ground, we had already been climbing up to a mountain for an hour or more. Truly, we were climbing up to the holy mountain of Sri Lanka. It was called ‘Sri Pada’ or ‘Adam’s Peak. It was and is still believed that it is the holy place where the Lord Buddha reached and left his footprint and thus devout people and monks come and pay homage to the footmark of the Buddha, bearing His Attributes in their minds.
We came across a lot of foreigners and local people, young and old, who, chatting with one another, were going up to that peak and going down from, with no regard for religious belief. Some asked us friendly to get up and joined them to keep on and some youngsters greeted and waved us with sweet smiles and active manners, singing together their local songs as if they were made of iron. That made us fresh for a while. To tell the truth, we felt like getting up and following after them.
Being so tired and finding it rocky on the path, I felt sometimes I couldn't go on anymore and it would be better to go back. Suddenly then, a flash of thought came into my mind over and over again: Can we build a better life without making any effort, feeling self-pity and finding many a reason to give up whatever it is? Life is nothing but climbing, that makes us understand that we can’t lay down on the bed of roses without any diligence. The cliff of the mountain has no comparison with that of life full of endless ups and downs.
We might either fall down or seize a golden opportunity over and over while striving for what we believe in our lives. It is clear that we need to make a great deal of effort to achieve what we want like climbing up to a mountain demands a lot of effort. Once we give up our faith, we will become weak and lose our hearts. We can, on the contrary, go on even though so feeble, should we keep our faith strong and fresh as ever, believing in our strength. It is needless to say that your belief is your strength. My shoulders were tapped by something gently and a friendly voice knocked my train of thought. It is true that I woke up from it only when I heard this—‘That is enough; we have a number of steps to take forward; let’s make a move, buddies’.
With a relaxed body and mind, we swiftly ascended. It was really a joyful moment at that time because we could easily keep on going without any disturbance in a quiet and cold atmosphere. All of a sudden, something made us run into the old guest-house built beside the way in order to take the shelter from it. It was torrential rain falling down unexpectedly. Fortunately, our laptops were kept safely in time from that very danger. It was raining cats and dogs then as if it would never stop again.
After for a while, there came a group of people climbing up to the peak. Some of them were laughing their heads off out of great excitement and enjoyment for that very greeting of rain, but some were feeling annoyed at it for getting them wet and cold. That sight helped us somehow feel friendly and warmly while feeling at a loss. At the same time, it puzzled us so much about carrying our laptops in the rain that we spent there for over twenty minutes asking each other many a question of what might be the best way to protect them from it. Some of us pointed out that thinking of going on in such a terrible situation without waiting for its stop would get into trouble not only for our laptops but also for our health, since most of us didn’t bring our extra robes, that were left in the van.
It was after the moment we had finished wrapping plastic round our laptops that the thing we wanted and waited for came to us. It was of course the rain that stopped dead. My steps were too fast but my thoughts were too heavy to focus on the steep path. We would have forgotten being dog-tired on account of cheerful smiles from the people climbing down. The steps were lined with little food stands and tea stalls, where we took a break, taking pictures together with some children and elder people.
What impressed me so much was the sight of several satellite TVs at the shops. That means that they have an equal right to know and watch all like city-dwellers no matter where they live. All the steps are concreted and maintained well leading up to the summit. It was often assumed, while climbing up, that the faint light seen at a distance was the top but it wasn’t and thus we became weaker and wearier
As we were close to the summit, we had to stand in a queue and take a break again to ascend holding the iron post railings because the path is too narrow and steep as well as slippery. It was so dangerous that we would surely fall down if we lost balance. Looking back over my shoulder, I quite felt gratified about both the feat accomplished and the steps left behind. A voice in my head was then saying that this taste is nothing but what we can taste at the time of getting what we want.
Before knowing anything, my thinking flew away again. It is evident that to make our way of thinking and living better and fair in order to stand in high and right position is more difficult than this climb. The one who wants to be healthy and happy here and hereafter is to be diligent and determined to break through all things till one seizes the target. Through thick and thin on the way to a better place, we have to do what we have got to do with the help of right knowledge and method.
We should do something certain in uncertain life. It doesn’t matter where we are heading, but the matter is how and with whom we are going without stopping every now and then. It is needless to say that how important it is to have a real comrade. Honestly speaking, no exact word is found now to express how joyful or ecstatic moment it was for me at the time of stepping down my feet on the icy cold floor. The cheerful smile arisen out of awareness of reaching the summit can be likened to the emotion come out of the minute of grasping at the longed-for things.
It was eleven o’clock in the evening when we reached the peak. Its height is 7360 feet above sea level. It took us four hours to get there. Through rough and though, we achieved finally. That taught me that how far and difficult our targets are doesn’t matter, but that what method we use and how much effort we make matter. The area is not so wide but so high. There are about four buildings. On looking around from the peak, we could feel as though we were almost in the sky.
A flock of people were standing, waiting for their turn. After a few minutes later, we, monks, were first allowed by the chief monk of the peak to go up to that very holy place. It was a great privilege for all of us to pay homage to the footmark of the Lord Buddha, recollecting His Attributes. And then we donated some money out of a great veneration and we also snapped pictures of it with a great joy.
What we should know of it is this. To the best of my knowledge, it, as mentioned above, was considered as the footprint of the Buddha by Buddhsts, that of Shiva by Hindus, that of Adam by Muslims and that of St. Thomas by Christians. It is therefore a very noteworthy fact. Without paying so much attention to the different points of view dealing with the footprint, we all felt that it was a golden opportunity for us to do so, based on our strong faith.
I felt elated to have fulfilled the purposes of climbing up Sri Pada. It was that very moment that I got into great rapture over my feat. How wonderful it was! We were standing on the top of sacred mountain, holding a bird’s eye view.
In my mind, there suddenly appeared the image of Kyeik Htee Yoe Pagoda and its splendid and gracious premises full of lay-people and monks as well as nuns doing meritorious deeds and so on while I was looking at some people reading and reciting religious texts under the faint light. Then and there, the thought crossed my mind that I together with my classmates had such a pleasant pilgrimage at Kyeik Htee Yoe Pagoda in Myanmar.
Noticing that we can always do something good and beneficial whenever and wherever we are, my mind ran into these sayings, ‘‘Practise what you preach’’; ‘‘Slow and steady wins the race.’’ Nothing under the sun is impossible to the man who keeps going on and on through right method, believing that strong but free will and burning desire can help his dream come true someday.
Wearing a victorious smile, I was wondering what a lovely panoramic view it would be in the very early morning. I was in deed in such reverie until I heard one of my friend’s suggestion---‘Hey, friends, we have to find the place to stay tonight’. It was, in fact, blowing a gale at the top of the mountain so much so that we couldn’t spend any more time outside.
By a stroke of fortune, we found the place at the base of the peak where we spent one night. No sooner had we got there than we fell asleep, blanketing our own robes. Ignoring the freezing air at dawn, a flock of people were standing in queue on the icy cold floor, waiting for the panoramic view of sunrise. It was extremely exciting per-minute panoramic. It rose up slowly and steadily, as expected, from the summit touching the blue sky. The flashes of cameras spread out all round the place. We, like others, took really good shots of the stunning views at sunrise.
It was a great pleasure for us to witness the sunrise. It gave us a real thrill to watch it. It isn’t possible for you to imagine how beautiful it would be then and there until you have personally experienced it. That is why, it is said that seeing is believing. It is the place where you can clearly take many a thing into consideration such as life or something like it and where you can deeply reflect and concentrate on the Attributes of our Lord Buddha at the minute when you see His footmark on that peak.
With the bright warm sunshine, the atmosphere became so pleasant and lovely indeed. After all formalities, we started climbing down at about seven o’clock. Even though we didn’t find it so difficult when we climb down, it demanded us a bit of effort. We all could manage our steps well. While my soft heart was filled with thrill of that lovely view and of that footprint, I lost over and over in the wishy-washy thought, comparing climbing up and down of the peak with ups and downs of life. We should indeed love struggle to achieve our goal rather than surrender; no mistake only lesson. Despite having left behind the holy mountain bit by bit, my train of thought was often flowing along my way back down, thus.
My Article in Lanka Taman Magazine, Sri Lanka 2010
Carrying each drinking water-bottle and some necessary things, we commenced our journey feeling like a flying bird in the sky. Along the way, we were encouragingly greeted by people singing a song for pleasure and wearing sweet smiles, regardless of being tired. After about thirty minutes later, our ears and hearts were touched with the sound of flowing streams and of singing birds as if a close friend. It is the rocky path that goes up like a snake’s moving tail, and that is so wet, steep and slippery that we can fall down from the cliff edge at the moment we are out of balance.
While everything around except the sound of steps was silent, a heavy breath became a loud noise. In spite of the fact that we continued up without any heavy things to carry, our knees were shaking; our throats were burning with thirst and also our stomachs were crying for food. Suddenly, came out a weary voice: ‘‘OK, buddies, let's take a rest for a moment’’. There was neither argument nor reply to it among us except the decision to do so. The question is why. The answer is because everybody was ready to have a rest, feeling dead-tired at that moment.
When we sat down on the ground, we had already been climbing up to a mountain for an hour or more. Truly, we were climbing up to the holy mountain of Sri Lanka. It was called ‘Sri Pada’ or ‘Adam’s Peak. It was and is still believed that it is the holy place where the Lord Buddha reached and left his footprint and thus devout people and monks come and pay homage to the footmark of the Buddha, bearing His Attributes in their minds.
We came across a lot of foreigners and local people, young and old, who, chatting with one another, were going up to that peak and going down from, with no regard for religious belief. Some asked us friendly to get up and joined them to keep on and some youngsters greeted and waved us with sweet smiles and active manners, singing together their local songs as if they were made of iron. That made us fresh for a while. To tell the truth, we felt like getting up and following after them.
Being so tired and finding it rocky on the path, I felt sometimes I couldn't go on anymore and it would be better to go back. Suddenly then, a flash of thought came into my mind over and over again: Can we build a better life without making any effort, feeling self-pity and finding many a reason to give up whatever it is? Life is nothing but climbing, that makes us understand that we can’t lay down on the bed of roses without any diligence. The cliff of the mountain has no comparison with that of life full of endless ups and downs.
We might either fall down or seize a golden opportunity over and over while striving for what we believe in our lives. It is clear that we need to make a great deal of effort to achieve what we want like climbing up to a mountain demands a lot of effort. Once we give up our faith, we will become weak and lose our hearts. We can, on the contrary, go on even though so feeble, should we keep our faith strong and fresh as ever, believing in our strength. It is needless to say that your belief is your strength. My shoulders were tapped by something gently and a friendly voice knocked my train of thought. It is true that I woke up from it only when I heard this—‘That is enough; we have a number of steps to take forward; let’s make a move, buddies’.
With a relaxed body and mind, we swiftly ascended. It was really a joyful moment at that time because we could easily keep on going without any disturbance in a quiet and cold atmosphere. All of a sudden, something made us run into the old guest-house built beside the way in order to take the shelter from it. It was torrential rain falling down unexpectedly. Fortunately, our laptops were kept safely in time from that very danger. It was raining cats and dogs then as if it would never stop again.
After for a while, there came a group of people climbing up to the peak. Some of them were laughing their heads off out of great excitement and enjoyment for that very greeting of rain, but some were feeling annoyed at it for getting them wet and cold. That sight helped us somehow feel friendly and warmly while feeling at a loss. At the same time, it puzzled us so much about carrying our laptops in the rain that we spent there for over twenty minutes asking each other many a question of what might be the best way to protect them from it. Some of us pointed out that thinking of going on in such a terrible situation without waiting for its stop would get into trouble not only for our laptops but also for our health, since most of us didn’t bring our extra robes, that were left in the van.
It was after the moment we had finished wrapping plastic round our laptops that the thing we wanted and waited for came to us. It was of course the rain that stopped dead. My steps were too fast but my thoughts were too heavy to focus on the steep path. We would have forgotten being dog-tired on account of cheerful smiles from the people climbing down. The steps were lined with little food stands and tea stalls, where we took a break, taking pictures together with some children and elder people.
What impressed me so much was the sight of several satellite TVs at the shops. That means that they have an equal right to know and watch all like city-dwellers no matter where they live. All the steps are concreted and maintained well leading up to the summit. It was often assumed, while climbing up, that the faint light seen at a distance was the top but it wasn’t and thus we became weaker and wearier
As we were close to the summit, we had to stand in a queue and take a break again to ascend holding the iron post railings because the path is too narrow and steep as well as slippery. It was so dangerous that we would surely fall down if we lost balance. Looking back over my shoulder, I quite felt gratified about both the feat accomplished and the steps left behind. A voice in my head was then saying that this taste is nothing but what we can taste at the time of getting what we want.
Before knowing anything, my thinking flew away again. It is evident that to make our way of thinking and living better and fair in order to stand in high and right position is more difficult than this climb. The one who wants to be healthy and happy here and hereafter is to be diligent and determined to break through all things till one seizes the target. Through thick and thin on the way to a better place, we have to do what we have got to do with the help of right knowledge and method.
We should do something certain in uncertain life. It doesn’t matter where we are heading, but the matter is how and with whom we are going without stopping every now and then. It is needless to say that how important it is to have a real comrade. Honestly speaking, no exact word is found now to express how joyful or ecstatic moment it was for me at the time of stepping down my feet on the icy cold floor. The cheerful smile arisen out of awareness of reaching the summit can be likened to the emotion come out of the minute of grasping at the longed-for things.
It was eleven o’clock in the evening when we reached the peak. Its height is 7360 feet above sea level. It took us four hours to get there. Through rough and though, we achieved finally. That taught me that how far and difficult our targets are doesn’t matter, but that what method we use and how much effort we make matter. The area is not so wide but so high. There are about four buildings. On looking around from the peak, we could feel as though we were almost in the sky.
A flock of people were standing, waiting for their turn. After a few minutes later, we, monks, were first allowed by the chief monk of the peak to go up to that very holy place. It was a great privilege for all of us to pay homage to the footmark of the Lord Buddha, recollecting His Attributes. And then we donated some money out of a great veneration and we also snapped pictures of it with a great joy.
What we should know of it is this. To the best of my knowledge, it, as mentioned above, was considered as the footprint of the Buddha by Buddhsts, that of Shiva by Hindus, that of Adam by Muslims and that of St. Thomas by Christians. It is therefore a very noteworthy fact. Without paying so much attention to the different points of view dealing with the footprint, we all felt that it was a golden opportunity for us to do so, based on our strong faith.
I felt elated to have fulfilled the purposes of climbing up Sri Pada. It was that very moment that I got into great rapture over my feat. How wonderful it was! We were standing on the top of sacred mountain, holding a bird’s eye view.
In my mind, there suddenly appeared the image of Kyeik Htee Yoe Pagoda and its splendid and gracious premises full of lay-people and monks as well as nuns doing meritorious deeds and so on while I was looking at some people reading and reciting religious texts under the faint light. Then and there, the thought crossed my mind that I together with my classmates had such a pleasant pilgrimage at Kyeik Htee Yoe Pagoda in Myanmar.
Noticing that we can always do something good and beneficial whenever and wherever we are, my mind ran into these sayings, ‘‘Practise what you preach’’; ‘‘Slow and steady wins the race.’’ Nothing under the sun is impossible to the man who keeps going on and on through right method, believing that strong but free will and burning desire can help his dream come true someday.
Wearing a victorious smile, I was wondering what a lovely panoramic view it would be in the very early morning. I was in deed in such reverie until I heard one of my friend’s suggestion---‘Hey, friends, we have to find the place to stay tonight’. It was, in fact, blowing a gale at the top of the mountain so much so that we couldn’t spend any more time outside.
By a stroke of fortune, we found the place at the base of the peak where we spent one night. No sooner had we got there than we fell asleep, blanketing our own robes. Ignoring the freezing air at dawn, a flock of people were standing in queue on the icy cold floor, waiting for the panoramic view of sunrise. It was extremely exciting per-minute panoramic. It rose up slowly and steadily, as expected, from the summit touching the blue sky. The flashes of cameras spread out all round the place. We, like others, took really good shots of the stunning views at sunrise.
It was a great pleasure for us to witness the sunrise. It gave us a real thrill to watch it. It isn’t possible for you to imagine how beautiful it would be then and there until you have personally experienced it. That is why, it is said that seeing is believing. It is the place where you can clearly take many a thing into consideration such as life or something like it and where you can deeply reflect and concentrate on the Attributes of our Lord Buddha at the minute when you see His footmark on that peak.
With the bright warm sunshine, the atmosphere became so pleasant and lovely indeed. After all formalities, we started climbing down at about seven o’clock. Even though we didn’t find it so difficult when we climb down, it demanded us a bit of effort. We all could manage our steps well. While my soft heart was filled with thrill of that lovely view and of that footprint, I lost over and over in the wishy-washy thought, comparing climbing up and down of the peak with ups and downs of life. We should indeed love struggle to achieve our goal rather than surrender; no mistake only lesson. Despite having left behind the holy mountain bit by bit, my train of thought was often flowing along my way back down, thus.
My Article in Lanka Taman Magazine, Sri Lanka 2010
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