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Homage to Amida and all Buddhas!
Click here to read about my 1st pilgrimage to the stupa of Tranisu
Click here to read about my 2nd Pilgrimage
I dedicated this 3rd pilgrimage to all beings, including
our protectors and the deities who rule over this land, to the Buddhists of
this country and those who helped build and consecrate the stupa in Tranișu, to
the members of FPMT, Amidaji, and to my benefactors.
May their vital energy increase, may they always be
healthy in body and mind, may they receive in abundance everything they need,
including water, food, clothing and shelter, may all obstacles disappear from
them, may they never be reborn in the lower realms of existence, may they
create indestructible connections with Amida and all Buddhas and attain supreme
Enlightenment as soon as possible.
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Also, may our project with the Stupa of All Buddhas be
realized without any obstacles at Amidaji temple. May all authentic lineages of
transmission spread in Romania so that everyone can practice according to their
specific karmic affinities and characteristics. May all Buddhists in this
country always collaborate with each other in a non-sectarian spirit and for
the benefit of all beings. May the wrong views that contradict the Buddha's
teachings never enter these places or, if they have already entered, may they
disappear permanently and have no power over the beings here. May this country
become a mandala of all Buddhas and a place where human and nonhuman beings can
evolve easily, without any obstacles!
With the above aspirations in mind (as well as other personal
aspirations and dedications) I recently started and finished my 3rd
pilgrimage to the Buddhist stupa of Tranisu.
It was a difficult journey as my baggage also contained
my favorite (and heavy) Amida Buddha statue as well as other sacred images, but
also due to the cold winds which made the temperature fall around 1-2 degrees
Celsius in the morning. Now, when I am writing these lines, I am treating
myself for the cold I caught during the pilgrimage.
I
started like the last time, from the city of Cluj, then went mainly through the
villages and cities of Baciu, Radaia, Garbau, Doroltu, Inucu, Dumbrava, Izvoru
Crisului, Huedin, Sancraiu. Then, from Sancraiu I followed the road to Alunisu,
Sacuieu, Bologa and Tranisu.
Between
these villages and cities there were many empty places and hills, some
difficult to cross like for example, the part from Inucu to Dumbrava where
google maps does not work. However, now that I have some experience, I can
travel to the stupa even without maps.
The
first day, Cluj – Izvoru Crisului was the hardest, as I made 42 km in around 11
hours and 30 minutes. To be sure that I arrive before sunset, I had to march
continuously with very short breaks of 5 minutes, and only a longer one of
15-20 minutes in Garbau where I ate and talk with some villagers. During summer
when the day is longer, breaks can also be longer, but in the cold season the
pilgrim cannot afford to stop too often. Thus, the effort was greater than
during the 2
nd pilgrimage. Especially between Inucu and Dumbrava I
had to constantly climb some never-ending hills through a muddy and desolate
place and the backpack felt so heavy on my shoulders. Then I had to focus my
attention on two more never ending hours on the E60 national road with heavy
trucks constantly passing at near 1-2 meters from me. Sometimes on the national
road I walked through the ditches that are filled with broken glass, mud and
various dirty things thrown by the idiots through the windows of their cars. Many
crosses indicatarethe people who died in car accidents which is a good
opportunity to contemplate impermanence and death that can strike any time.
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The
trip is difficult not only because of the constant effort, but also since after
so many km, one cannot afford to relax but must maintain constant focused
attention especially when on the E60 National Road. Just a single step without
attention can cause one to fall in front of a big heavy truck or injure oneself
while walking through the ditches.
I have
to be honest and admit that I had some moments, especially during the last part
of the 1st day, while I was travelling through the road E60, when I
felt so exhausted that my attention was very difficult to maintain. Then I
shouted the Name of Amida as louder as I could to refocus myself and automatically
felt more energized. I did that repeatedly whenever my strength seemed to
dissipate.
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It’s
all in the mind, dear friends, it’s all in the mind. I always start and walk in
a pilgrimage with the thought that I have NO other option but to continue. It’s
like I know only one direction – forward. Thus, my mind and body know that my
legs must move, and the back must sustain the weight. Feelings are not
important, pain is not important, thoughts are also not important – I just keep
going for the benefit of all beings, for the success of the Buddha Dharma in
this part of the world. The invisible nonhuman beings, the ancestral deities
and spirits of the land should see me enduring any hardship and praying for
them, so that they are convinced to look favourable to the Dharma activities we
do in this country, make connections with Amida Buddha, and perhaps even trust
to Him themselves. I sometimes addressed to these beings with great respect by introducing
myself simply as Josho, the disciple of Amida and all Buddhas, wishing them all
the best and kindly asking them to not cause any obstacles for the establishment
of Buddhism in these lands.
The fact
that Buddhas always protect us if we say the Nembutsu of faith in Amida is
always a great relief for me during my pilgrimages:
„That the Buddhas protect persons of shinjin (faith in
Amida) is truly beyond doubt”.
"The Nirvana Sutra states:
The Buddha said to Bodhisattva Kasyapa, 'If there are
sons or daughters of good families who
always sincerely perform the exclusive practice of the Nembutsu, whether they
dwell in mountain forests or in villages, whether they practice it in the
daytime or at night, and whether they do so while sitting or lying down, Buddhas
and World-honored Ones always watch over them just as if they were before their
eyes, and are ready to accept their offerings and endow merits to them.'”
There
were difficult moments when I spontaneously realized that Amida or other
Buddhas, like Hayagriva, Tara, Mahakala are literally helping me, like for
example extending their hands to help me climb a hill, or energizing my body
and mind. For example, when I was climbing a hill, I heard the neighing of a
horse and immediately thought to Hayagriva, the wrathful manifestation of Amida
(in Vajrayana Buddhism) who has three horses above His head. Also, black ravens
flying above remembered me about the protection of Mahakala. Sometimes I even
had the spontaneous idea that Tara is sending me a rope to help me climb a
muddy hill. To all these I always answered by saying the Name of Amida who
contains the infinite merits of all Buddhas, all practices and is itself
praised by all Buddhas. A person who trusts Amida and says His Name in faith is
automatically praised and protected by all Buddha without the need that he or
she practices anything else because the Name of Amida already contains
everything. How wonderful this is! To say the Name of Amida and being
surrounded and protected by the peaceful and wrathful manifestations of all
Buddhas!
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Lama Gendun stopped to greet me during my last part
of the pilgrimageand offered me a white kata |
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| consecrating ceremony for the little stupas by Lama Gendun |
At the
stupa and the Tibetan Buddhist centre built near it I met with Lama Gendun and
other members who arrived earlier by car, as well as with Drolma Veronica and
two Amidaji members, Jiryu Doru and Jikai Mihaela from Cluj. Lama Gendun made a
consecrating ceremony for some little stupas, one of which was kindly given to
me, and later I led a Jodo Shinshu service in front of the big stupa in
Tranisu. I chanted half of the Nembutsu liturgy and Amidakyo (Smaller Amida
Sutra):
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the ceremony in front of the stupa. While I did the recitations,
Drolma Veronica was doing a mandala offering |
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| Chanting Amidakyo |
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| the small stupa offered by Lama Gendun |
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| Dharma discussions |
the difference between Jodo Shinshu and Christianity:
- the object of faith is a Buddha,
- the basic Mahayana concept of merit
transference which lies at the heart of salvation in Jodo Shinshu where we are
saved through Amida’s transference of His infinite merits to us,
- the Pure Land as an enlightened environment which naturally leads to Enlightenment vs a samsaric environment,
- the importance of faith as found in
many sutras and in other schools, including Tibetan Buddhism, etc.
I also
explained some historical facts about Japanese Buddhist schools and the monk ordinations in Japanese Buddhism and Jodo Shinshu.
It was
a very good opportunity for those present to learn about the Dharmic perspective of Jodo Shinshu Pure Land school. I also
explained my non-sectarian approach (as explained in my article on the 2nd pilgrimage) and the importance of the Stupa of All
Buddhas that Drolma Veronica and myself want to build at Amidaji which can be
visited by practitioners of all schools, as well as nonBuddhists. He offered
prayers for the success of our project and discussed many useful details
together.
Drolma
Veronica, the representative of FPMT in Bucharest and myself considered it to
be very auspicious to mark the beginning of our project of the Stupa of All
Buddhas with a visit and pilgrimage to the stupa in Tranisu and we are very happy
we did it. This is the first great interconfessional Buddhist project in
Romania and we hope it will be an example for future collaborations among
Buddhists of any school. She is an enthusiast and dedicated Vajrayana practitioner, a great supporter and the organizatorical brain of this project.
I will
come back soon with more detailed information about the Stupa of All Buddhas.
Also, a special website dedicated to this project will be launched until the
end of the year.
Best
wishes to you all!
Namo
Amida Bu
Here are just a few photos with people I met on the road:
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before starting the pilgrimage I met with Jiryu Doru
and Jikai Mihaela, our Amidaji members from Cluj
who also attended the event at the stupa
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with Elena who invited me for tea
and who asked me to pray for her while also
advising me to take good care on the road |
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| In Garbau village with two villagers |
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and a Bodhisattva in disguise showing you
his nectar of immortality :) |
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A
joyful example of past karmic connections manifested today when I suddenly met
with a group of Srilankan Buddhists working in Romania. We chanted together and
we talked about the Buddha Dharma. |
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| a nice lady from the village of Dumbrava |
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It is already a tradition that in the 1st day of the pilgrimage I receive accomodation
at this lady's guest house
Kalotaszeg Vendeghaz from Izvoru Crisului who treats me with a great vegetable soup and a jam of zacusca (a traditional food made to endure winter). Please always stay at her guesthouse if you happen to visit the area. She helped me during my 1st and 2nd pilgrimage, too!
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They traveled by car and stopped to ask me if I need anything.
Then we talked, laughed a lot and took a photo.
They promised to keep in touch andvisit me at Amidaji. |
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Yes, I did it again :) and will continue with more pilgrimages
and Dharma travelsthrough the blessing of Amida and all Buddhas!
Namo Amida Bu
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