Who hasn’t, at least once in their life, gazed at the dew drops of dawn to enjoy their miraculous and delicate beauty? And who has never taken a walk in the early morning mist to immerse themselves in the fresh, cool air, with sparkling dew drops clinging to their hair and clothes? Come join us on a journey through cities shrouded in mystical fog, rows of houses silent in darkness, and wild forests that only offer brief glimpses of what lies inside. In the distance, there are flicking and eerie lights.
 
I suddenly remembered an old saying: “A good friend is like walking in the night mist; although you may not get wet immediately, over time, you will become soaked.” (Meaning: Being close to a good friend is like walking in the late night mist – you may not notice the impact immediately, but you will gradually be influenced over time.)
 
By traveling with us, you will truly experience the meaning and essence of that saying. Just like how our clothes only gradually become wet, even in the thickest mist, being near good friends and wise people allows the benevolent flowers of our mind to bloom and become helpful to others.
 
In other words, the seeds of enlightenment (bodhi) that we plant today will bear good fruit in the future. We do not need to be clairvoyant to know our past or future. If we want to know our past, we should examine what we are experiencing in the present. Likewise, if we want to know our future, we should look at our present actions. The seeds we sow now will yield corresponding fruits later. The law of cause and effect surrounds all beings without exceptions, regardless of their circumstances. Therefore, associating with good and wise people is part of the right path that the Buddha taught, and we should follow His teachings.
 
The Sangha stayed at Wat Thai Chetavan temple in Savatthi for about four days. During this time, the lay devotees who had provided services on this journey were able to visit their families, while also allowing the Sangha to pay homage to a Buddhist pilgrimage site. Additionally, the assistant abbot of Royal Wat Thai Buddhagaya Temple also brought a group of Thai doctors to examine and provide medical treatment to the Sangha.
 
At this place, I also found a bamboo stick to support me while walking. My feet had been swollen for the past few days, and my big toe was not nimble. Some monks thought the bamboo stick looked special and joked about it. They asked other monks to make two lines so that I could walk through, as if they were welcoming an elder. The whole group then burst into laughter in the warm and joyful atmosphere of the Dhamma brotherly love.
 
The “Bamboo Cane” has proven useful in other ways, too. Since having the cane, I have been able to chase away stray dogs, preventing my robes from being torn like those of other monks. Female beggars no longer pull at my robes or ask for money when they see me holding this stick. During these days, everyone only looked at the miraculous cane and didn’t pay much attention to my presence.
 
Here we visited the great temples of the Thai people built by a laywoman famous for her practice. With such magnificent architecture, it is clear that she had achieved such high levels of spiritual perfection (Paramī) that it is beyond our imagination to comprehend! Then our group visited the stone pillar marking the place where laywoman Visākhā forgot her cloak, Mahālatāpasādhana, at the Jetavana monastery after listening to the Dharma. And it was Visākhā herself who bought back her cloak because its value was so great that nobody else could pay for it. She used that money to build the Pubbārāma (the Eastern Monastery) or Migāramātupāsāda (the Migāra’s mother Mansion) under the supervision of the Elder Moggallāna. She offered the new monastery to the Buddha and the Sangha. (The story of the laywoman Visākhā is summarized from the commentary on Dhammapada, Verse 53. The Commentary on the Aguttara Aṭṭhakathā also tells the same story in more detail.)
 
The Visākhā stone pillar is now hidden in a temple in a remote and impoverished rural village. The huge and majestic monastery that once stood here is now just dust. The once-prosperous and bustling land is now lost, giving way to a place of squalid poverty and countless beggars. Indeed, nothing can escape the law of impermanence! It is the very essence of the saying, “Things change, stars move!” or “nothing lasts forever.”
 
 

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