I just concluded the first leg of my pilgrimage of the eight sites associated with Buddha. Needless to say, it was a profound experience. Sitting and walking on the same soil as the Enlightened One was both a moving experience and a very fulfilling one.

However, there was one thing that bothered me – the constant pestering by petty vendors and beggars in every pilgrimage site. There were hundreds of men, women, and children – some old, some disabled, and many totally undernourished.

The suffering and the misery numbed me completely that I was simply overwhelmed and felt helpless. But to unsee such suffering is to undo any merit from the pilgrimage itself. What is the use of praying to Buddha while overlooking the very thing he was trying to bring an end to? So, I kept looking for an answer to my own dilemma.

On the fifth day while driving from Vaishali to Rajgir, I struck up a long conversation with my driver, Indradev, about the development in Bihar – nicer roads, better Internet connectivity than before. And we continued with his life, family, and children. We did a WhatsApp video call with them and I got introduced to his family – especially to his six-year-old son, who always tries to connect to different people from different countries his father drives around.

MY BUDDHA MOMENT.

During one of his subsequent calls, I overheard his son complain that the school wants to know when he will pay the fees. My newfound friend looked perturbed.

“Why is the school bullying your son for the fees?” I asked.

“Sir, I am behind by four months, and so the school is right to ask for it,” he replied.

He then went on to complain how life has been unfair to him since his father passed away and he didn’t get anything and even had to discontinue his school. He works every day for long hours to just feed his family.

He is currently squatting on someone’s land with a token lease. A kind Vietnamese pilgrim gave him some money to put up a proper roof, and a Tibetan Rimpoche from Dharamsala helped build a toilet. Both of them, however, have lost touch with him during covid-19. He added that this season has been low in tips, and his salary was just enough to buy the groceries.

“Sometimes I wonder if God exists and why he keeps me in an earthly hell forever,” he concluded with a sigh.

His voice was heavy, and the pain was real. I empathized with him, felt a deep sorrow because I know how he felt. I have been there too where I felt worthless.

“But I won’t deprive my son of what I missed. In fact I am sending him to a private school although it takes one fourth of my salary,” he said with conviction.

“How much is the monthly fee ?” I asked him.

“It is one thousand per month, sir,” he replied.

“So, that would be twelve thousand a year?”

“Right, Sir.”

“Ok. Call the school right away and tell them you will clear the dues by tomorrow when we get back to Bodhgaya. And tell them you won’t be late here after either, because I will pay the fees for the whole year.”

He went into disbelief but did it right away. When he put the phone away, he seemed relieved.

“You said God has abandoned you. I think he didn’t, whoever he or she is,” I told him.

He was visibly emotional.

“Thank you, Sir,” he said, looking towards the horizon with a teary eyes.

I looked out of the window and saw the mountains of the city of Rajgir getting closer. But it was not the words of the Buddha that came to my mind to describe what I just did. Instead, my favorite line from the movie Schindler’s List – a Hebrew proverb kept ringing:

He who saves one life, saves the world entire.

No! I can’t end all the suffering in the world. But, at least I just saved a child from being harassed for not paying the school fee on time. Maybe I saved him from having to drop out of his school. One never knows.

The next day when we got back to Bodhgaya, I relieved Indal to go and clear the dues with the school. He messaged me an hour later and texted me the receipt and the last exam results.

DID BUDDHA RECIPROCATE?

That evening in Bodhgaya after dinner, I rushed to get a few more rounds of the great Mahabodhi stupa. It was almost closing time.

When I entered the gate, I saw that a group of Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese and Indian devotees were saying their last prayers as the temple was about to close. I entered and joined in. It was a beautiful moment chanting the praises to Buddha in Pali.

Buddham Saranam Gacchami (I take Refuge in Buddha),
Dhammam Saranam Gacchami (I take Refuge in the Dharma),
Sangham Saranam Gacchami (I take Refuge in the Sangha).

Then as the security was ushering us all out at 9 o’clock, I saw the main priest, who was sitting on the altar near the Buddha, distributing scarfs and other flowers offered to the Buddha statue. I approached the priest too and asked him if I could have a white scarf too. He looked into my eyes, thought for a moment, and said,

“Wait!”

And he got up and took down a large yellow silk robe that was wrapped around the Buddha statue. He bundled it and launched it at me.

I caught it like a good goalkeeper and thanked him several times as I hurried to the door with the policemen screaming at me.

As the giant door closed behind me, I turned around and stood there for a moment to reconfirm the priceless gift I just received, slowly settling in, and absorbing the blessing for one last time.

And in that moment I realised that even my “God” has not abandoned me either. I would like to believe that he reciprocated on behalf of the child I just helped.

😌😌😌

(I decided to sponsor the child all the way till college, as long as he does well. ✌️✌️✌️

May this small act of kindness bring closer to ending suffering and misery on this earth.)

Info: Indradev drives for a tour company. Someday he dreams to own his own car. Right now his priority is buying the land he is on. Good to hire him and do the Buddha Circuit. Car is bit luxurious but better be safe.