The early spring rains have slowed down the footsteps of the foot-traveling Sangha, worsened our sickness, but our journey continued uninterrupted. It doesn’t matter what happens! With a steadfast heart, nothing can stop us from Following the Buddha’s Footsteps.
 
Sổ and Āloka were just as wet as we are. Poor Āloka! Despite applying crème several times, his legs still hadn’t healed. He kept limping with three legs through the rain, wind and dense, cold fog. After walking a short distance, he’d lie flat on the road to catch his breath. The other monks and I continually called out his name to urge him on. Each time he lay down in the middle of the road with half-closed eyes, upon hearing us calling his name, he’d open his eyes, try to get up and move on.
 
It was not only the Sangha who were enthusiastic about and persevering on this arduous road. Sổ and Āloka were equally enthusiastic! Āloka seemed so determined not to give up despite his injured and tired legs after a journey of more than 1500 km. If they could overcome all the tribulations and hardships on this journey, the accumulated merits would be truly immeasurable! May the blessings enable Āloka’s (Light) to find his own light. Since the day he was born, this was the first time he had walked with the foot-traveling Sangha in their earthy yellow robes, who are going through every nook and cranny of life to retrace the ancient path. After each long walk, our four-legged companions would roll out to sleep, each taking a corner at the resting place. Āloka was always dirty from his habit of rolling on the ground, sand, and black coal stone he found along the way.
 
We passed by cities through the fog so dense that one could not see beyond seven steps. Even the light of the flashlight could not pierce the fog, so visibility was limited. Some of us did not use flashlights, relying only on the reflection of the dashed lines on the road. We kept going, crossing villages, country roads, and empty fields, absent any house or person. We passed through flea markets, long rivers and vast sandbars. It wasn’t until nearly 12 noon that the dew dissipated, giving way to the sun. It was this harsh cycle of cold morning, hot afternoon, and then the cold and humid evening which made it impossible for us to improve our illnesses. Each time we recovered from one symptom, we would quickly develop a new one to replace it.
 
We crossed the vast sugarcane fields during the harvest season. Everywhere we see the sugarcane fields stretch endlessly. We saw farm tractors and trucks full of sugarcane following each other on winding roads that seemed to want to overturn. Every truck was overloaded, sometimes to twice or even three times its capacity. Sometimes, a thought came to mind, “What if this truck full of sugarcane overturned and crashed on top of the Sangha? Death would be swiftly ‘sweet.’” Whoa! How whimsical such thoughts were!
 
The sugarcane fields were bustling with activity. Everyone had their own tasks: cutters, scrapers, gatherers, and carriers were all hard at work, with sugarcane piled high and being loaded onto trucks. The women and children would gather the sugarcane tops into large bundles and carry them on their heads, possibly to take home as food for their buffaloes, cows, and pigs. The local villagers also offer freshly harvested sugarcane to the foot-traveling Sangha, and they also said that we could take as much as we want.
 
Along every stretch of road, there was a free sugarcane juice milling station. Sugarcane juice milling station! It may sound grandiose, but it was just two pieces of wood buried in the ground, with crossbars and two iron lumps close together to squeeze the sugarcane. A wooden shaft on top held a swing, much like a rice grinder. The black and dirty chute beneath led to a mug and a barrel to hold sugarcane juice. The process was simple: just push the cane between the iron lumps and turn the handle. In this way, they made sugarcane juice available to drink.
 
The kindness and hospitality of the people in India towards the Sangha is truly heartwarming. They show their respect by bowing with their hands together and offering biscuits and other small gestures of kindness. On long and muddy roads, young men would even buy boxes full of biscuits just to offer them to the monks, presenting the food with a reverential gesture of hands clasped over their heads and eyes closed. Such displays of generosity and hospitality are truly touching.
 
It is worth mentioning that the police officers took turns escorting the Sangha from morning to evening by cars, motorcycles, and walking. They accompanied us and ensured our safety until we reached our next rest stop. On one part of the journey, they even stayed overnight to safeguard the entire group. The chief of police also followed us and offered for us to stay within their jurisdiction for added protection. However, we regretfully had to decline as our route had already been planned, and we could not stay for an extended period.
 
On the other hand, there was no shortage of insensitive people. In the middle of the night, drunk men would go into the monks’ sleeping ground, shine flashlights into our tents and ask where we came from. They would call us to talk and then laugh and talk loudly, making it difficult for us to sleep. In fact, everyone was tired or sick, and did not have enough sleep. Sensing that the situation was not heading in the right direction, I took the flashlight and walked outside my tent, kindly asked them to leave. Thankfully, they would nod meekly and get on their Honda motorbikes and take off, allowing the Sangha to catch some much-needed sleep, however little we could.
 
“Blessings don’t return promptly,
Adversities don’t come just once!”
 
In other words, blessings are rare while adversities are a dime a dozen!
 
The phrase I used to recite when sharing the Dhamma now appears vividly in my mind. Blessings are not easily received multiple times because upon receiving a blessing, the mind becomes unguarded and complacent, and thus susceptible to defilements. When such defilements dominate the mind, blessings can no longer have a chance to bear fruit. On the other hand, “Adversities don’t come just once” refers to suffering that arrives one after the other, stacking on top of each other, leaving no time for breathing. The fruit of suffering leads to the emergence of defilements, which, in turn, interact with unwholesome kamma in the past to produce fruit in the present.
 
The Three Rounds include Round of Defilements (Kilesa Vaṭṭa), Round of Volitional Action (Kamma Vaṭṭa), and Round of Results (Vipāka Vaṭṭa). Every time we reap bad results, defilements arise. Because we don’t know how to handle these defilements, we often sow unwholesome kamma by actions leading to the fruits of suffering, which in turn result in more defilements, creating a never-ending cycle of saṃsāra.
 
Now, my leg has also become swollen, and I can’t move my big toe, just like Āloka. Both the teacher and student are now limping on the respective right foot. But do I have afflictions in my mind? I don’t think so! Then what is “Adversities don’t come just once”?
 
Not everything that comes to us is due to kamma. We can’t blame everything on kamma. Instead, we need to look at our “existing self”, how is it going? Will our initial patience, diligence, and determination be diminished? When faced with so many things happening at once, do we struggle and become frustrated? How do we react when this four-element body feels the anguish piling up?
 
Of course, some people may complain, criticize, lament, sigh, worry, and be afflicted. Others see it as medicine for the mind, life challenges, and the past’s bad fruits that need to be paid for. Alternatively, we can calmly accept these experiences as they are without further speculation and acknowledge them when they come and go.
 
In the same manner, if ignorance and craving still exist, the path we take, from beginningless to endlessly, will never be free from realities. For those eager to practice, the crucial aspect is not the avoidance of these defilements but rather how we confront them and the reaction the mind has to them. When faced with these realities, do we incorporate the Buddha’s teachings into our daily lives? And there are many, many more things to consider.

#chuahuongdao #chuahuongdaotemple #sbsstupas
#buddha #buddhism #Dhutanga #dhammajourney
 
Source: Dhammacetiya