By far the most beautiful temple in Patan is the Golden Temple in Patan. Locally known as Hiranya Varna Mahavihar, it is a UNESCO world heritage site and protected.
It was built by King Bhaskar Varman in the 12th Century.
A story goes that the king dreamed of a golden mouse chasing a cat. Next morning the king saw a replay of the dream in reality – of a golden mouse chasing a cat at the same location. He decided to build a temple at the exact location. Even today mice are fed with the caretakers placing food in the four corners of the temple.
MAIN RELICS
There are several sacred relics here. The main one is the 900-year old Prajñāpāramitā (the Perfection of Wisdom) scriptures, which is read every morning, and which if you are lucky the priest allows you to touch it and get a blessing. This volume is one of the oldest surviving and which has been uninterruptedly read for over 400 years. So, you are looking at 400+ years of blessing.
BUDDHA STATUES WASHES ITSELF.
The main altar is dedicated to Lord Buddha (Jowo Shakyamuni) that is decorated with an array of Sambhogakaya ornaments. The statue is another very sacred relic that is revered by the Newars.
The statue is considered as ‘alive’ and thus very sacred, because it is believed that it took a bath on its own.
According to a story, there was once a war between two great ancient kingdoms of the Kirants and Lichhavis. And no one dared to venture out of their homes. So, the Buddha’s statue at the temple was not taken care of or worshipped.
A deeply devoted Buddhist family decided to send their child, a very young boy, to wash the Buddha statue believing no one would hurt a child. The child arrived at the temple and innocently placed the pot of water at the door.
The boy thought that the Lord Buddha statue would wash itself like everyone else. He repeatedly told the statue that the bath water was ready. Not seeing the statue respond, the boy was heartbroken and began to cry.
The Statue took pity on the child and moved and washed itself. Thereafter, and even today, the head priest of the temple is a young boy under the age of 12.
MANJUSHRI SANGHITI
There is also the rare Mahamanjushri Sanghiti statue and the scripture, which is regularly read.
The ten-arm Manjushri Sanghiti is the older form of Manjushri who is believed to have been the celestial teacher of Gautama Buddha. The teaching and the scriptures as we have them now, which are included in the Kangur, are believed to have been the version taught by Buddha to Vajrapani to bring down his ferociousness.
GETTING THERE
The place is easily reached by a taxi. It is the most popular place in Patan
The Wish-fulfilling Red Tara (Drolma Moelam Gangtab of Nepal) a very beautiful, but a sad Tara, that is found inside Tara Devi temple – to the north of Dattatraya Square in Bhaktapur.
This Red Tara is believed to be chained here by the locals after she returned from a trip to Tibet. The story goes that they didn’t want her to leave again, or leave and never return, and thus is believed to wear that gloomy face.
While the Tibetans and the Bhutanese consider it as the Red Tara, the statue is identified as Dipankara by the Indians and Nepalis.
According to yet another source, she is believed to be Dakini Yeshey Tshogyel who spent some few years of her life, even marrying one local man. She is best remembered for bringing back to life a dead child from the banks of the river where cremation was about to be conducted. There are songs and praises in her honour that goes:
Following the Guru’s instructions, you travel to Nepal, bring a corpse back to life, are rewarded with gold, and ransom your consort of skilful means, Acharya Sale. In such ways you are a guide for beings, so difficult to tame. To you, we pray!
— Jamgön Kongtrul Lodro Thayé
Regardless, it is considered as one of the most sacred statue by the locals, who guard it very jealously.
GETTING THERE
The temple is located in Bhaktapur and is marked as Tara Devi Temple. It is at a walkable distance from Durbar square. CLICK HERE
The Seto Machindranath (White Avalokiteshvara) is a statue in Jana Bahal Temple in Thamel, Kathmandu, which is revered by both Hindus and by Buddhists for two different reasons.
THE BUDDHIST STORY.
This White Chenrizig (others are of different colours) is one of the five Self-Arisen Avalokiteshvara Brothers (འཕགས་པ་རང་བྱོན་མཆེད་ལྔ) that emerged from one sandwood tree in Nepal. Three are located in Kathmandu Valley and two in Lhasa in Tibet.
The five Cherizig brothers, as it is known in the Buddhist world, are very important because they have set the stage for the propagation of Dharma in Nepal and in Tibet.
They are believed to have been hidden as treasures by Avalokiteshvara himself, but later retrieved by the envoy of King Songsen Gyempo, Akaramatishila, and placed in carefully chosen locations along the trade route from Nepal to Tibet.
Tibetan Buddhists believe that the miraculous arrival of these Avalokiteshvara statues in Tibet played an important role in the establishment of Dharma there.
One century later, Guru Padmasambhava further enhanced their sanctity at the request of King Trisong Detsen, and purposely stopped at each of these treasured statues to pay homage, infusing them with his blessings.
Therefore, the five statues are believed to be extremely charged with blessing.
The five sacred Avalokiteshvara statues are:
Arya Vati Zangpo of Kyirong (in Mangyul)
Arya Bukham of Patan
Arya Jamali of Kathmandu
Arya Lokeshvara in the Potala Palace (Lhasa)
Arya Akham of Patan
THE HINDU VERSION.
Interestingly, this white Chenrizig is also revered by the Hindus, who have a different story to share.
Locally known as Seto Machindranath, it is Protector Deity of Kathmandu. Annually the city stops to celebrate a chariot procession that travels across the city.
It is believed that during the rule of King Yakshya Malla, people came to bath near Swambhunath and secured a place in heaven.
Yama, the King of Death, realising the power of Swambhunath, once made a trip to take a bath too. However, he was captured by King Yakshya Malla, who demanded as ransom the seed of immortality. So Yamraj sought Avalokiteshvara to come to his rescue and his prayer was heard.
Seto Machindranath then told the king to build a temple where the two rivers, Kalmati and Bagmati, met and to organize chariot procession so that the gods would visit the kingdom and bless them with happiness and long life.
MY TAKE
Although I am a Buddhist, and I may be inclined to believe it as one of the Chenrizig brothers, as a communication scholar I appreciate the Hindu version. This is because Seto Machindranath, as the deity of Kathmandu unites the Hindus, Buddhists and the Newars. It promises long life and happiness to all, thus bringing harmony to the city.
As a communication scholar and as a big proponent of the power of storytelling, the legend of Yamaraj being kidnapped and demanded the immortality for the King, is simply captivating. Such stories are powerful rhetoric of unifying forces, which I hope never dies in the age of omnipresent and omnipotent technological advances.
I wish the local people to forever tell this story. I hope, as the signboard at the main entrance says, “All religions are welcome inside the temple”.
🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
GETTING THERE
Jana Bahal is easily reachable in Thamel. It is better to walk from either Durbar Square or Kanti Marg, as the street is narrow for taxis. CLICK HERE
Chumik Jangchub (ཆུ་མིག་བྱང་ཆུབ།) in Nepal – literally meaning Spring of Enlightenment is a sacred site opened with Guru Padmasambhava on his way to Tibet. It is one of the eight important places in Nepal that are associated to Guru.
Finding my cousins
The sacred site was visited since time unknown, but what can be seen at the site – the stone steps and footpaths, the old temple, which unfortunately was destroyed by the earthquake in 2015, were all done by a Bhutanese yogi – Lama Rinzin Rimpoche from Rangshikhar in Tashigang. He came on a pilgrimage here in the 1960s and never left. He passed away in 2022 at 95.
He happens to be my father’s first cousin, and thus by extension his children are my cousins, whom I had the good fortune of meeting them for the first time today.
The current siblings-occupants, Tshampa Wangchuk and Ani Choki are rebuilding the place – piece by piece with their hands. They are not in a rush and have no expectations or desires. They were born here and have never left the place. They are both past their 50s. Such a dedication. A humbling experience to be in their presence.
CHUMIK JANGCHUB
Chumik Jangchub is a must-visit for all Vajrayana devotees. There are two things to see here. A self-emanating face of Guru (see picture) under the cave, and the sacred spring.
A paragraph from the popular Barché Lamsel mantra (the Prayer that Removes All Obstacles on the Path) says:
When binding the protectors, who abide by their vows, ༔ in that supreme place of power, immaculate and enchanting, ༔ on the very border of India and Nepal, ༔ you grant your blessing, and as soon as you arrive ༔ the mountain becomes fragrant, a sweet scent wafting through the air. ༔ Even in winter, lotus flowers bloom, ༔ and a spring flows there, called ‘Nectar of Enlightenment’. ༔ In this supreme and sacred place, suffused with bliss, ༔ O Kyechok Tsulzang, clad in Dharma robes, ༔ your right hand wielding a nine-spoked vajra, ༔ your left supporting a jeweled casket ༔ Brimful with the elixir of rakta, ༔ you bind dakinis and guardians, who keep their pledges, ༔ and you attain the siddhi of beholding the yidam face to face. ༔
Here, Guru came to be known as Kyechok Tsulzang, Eminent Noble Being, after leaving marks of his power and blessings in the form of a holy spring, which remain available for everyone to this day. A sip of this water is believed to release you from the lower realm and put on the path to realisation.
A WISH I MADE.
Personally this place felt sooooooo blissful that I made a wish to be back here and to be able to build a temple for the benefit of all sentient beings – in this or next life. I don’t remember making such a wish anywhere. Maybe I was just inspired by my two newfound long lost cousins. Yes, they are so simple that they inspire.
GETTING THERE.
Chumik Changchup sits within the forested landscape of the Rikheshwor Jungle, near the village of Daman, 65-100 km depending on the route you take. It is southwest of Kathmandu, at a place called Daman. It is a nice day trip approximately 3.5 hours from Kathmandu.
The drive is long but the scenery is mind blowing. You climb to 2800 meters and you can see the tall peaks of Dhalagiri, Annapurna and Everest. And enjoy local Tamang hospitality on the way.
Lesser known facts and legends about Beybou Chorten.
The last major reconstruction of Boudha Chorten was entirely sponsored by Bhutan’s first King Ugyen Wangchuck – and the works were overseen by Lama Sonam Zangpo as a young disciple of Togden Shakya Shri. (See last picture)
During consecration 100 million Buddhas descended and dissolved into it. Thus it is the most sacred monument in all three strands of Buddhism.
Boudha is the biggest stupa in the World. It has inspired several statues built in Bhutan, such as Chorten Kora, Chendepji, Kurizam, and Tama.
The background story of the Wish-fulfilling Beybu Chorten.
There are many legends, myths, history and stories around this magnificent chorten at Boudha in Kathmandu, that it is left to the devotee as to what to believe. As a Bhutanese, and thus a Guru Rimpoche fan, I choose to believe it as a wish-fulfilling Jarong Khashor.
In a terma scripture discovered by Tertön Lhatsön Ngönmo, ‘The Legend of the Great Stupa Jarungkashor’, Guru Rinpoche tells the story of a local Tamang woman, Aum Jazam whose real name was Samvari, who wished to build a stupa to house the ashes of Buddha Kashapa remains (Sangye Osung). She approached the king for land as large as a buffalo hide, which the King granted. She then sliced the hide into a thin string and made it as long as possible and used it to measure the perimeter boundary of the land – on which she decided to build the stupa.
However, when the local community found that out, they reported to the king of the trick, and to take back his permission, as the feat would also embarrass the Royal Court. The King’s reply was: ‘Let it be done’ (jarung) slipped from my tongue (kashor). The king speaks but once!”. The stupa then came to be known as the Jarung Khashor.
With the help of her three sons, Aum Jazam, enshrined the relics of the Buddha Kashhyapa in the central pillar and began building the stupa. However, she passed away before the stupa was complete.
The sons did complete the stupa and each made some aspirations during the consecration of the stupa. The eldest aspired to be reborn as a Dharma King. The second wished to be a great scholar monk. The third aspired to be a powerful tantric yogi. And the fourth to be a minister to coordinate all religious activities of his elder brothers.
All their wishes were fulfilled. The eldest brother was reborn as Tibetan Emperor Trisong Deutsen, the second as great scholar Shantarakshita, and the third as Guru Padmasambhava.
Interestingly bad wishes are also granted if made at this Stupa. The donkey, who believed that he did all the hard work, was upset that he was not invited to the consecration. So he made a wish that he be the one to destroy all the religious legacies of the four brothers. The donkey was later reborn as anti-dharma King Langdarma.
However, as the donkey was making that bad wish, a crow witnessed it and aspired to be the one to put an end to any anti-dharma elements. He would be reborn as Lalung Pelgyi Dorji and he would be the one to assassinate the anti-Buddhist Langdarma.
The Boudha chorten would, therefore, become known around the Tibetan Buddhist world as a wish-fulfilling stupa. And “the most sacred monument in Tibetan Buddhism” according to my lama. And because the stupa is so big, your wishes can also be as vast, and as crazy as you can possibly think.
In Patan, near the famous Durbar Square, tucked away from the bustling streets, is the Yempi Mahabir temple. While it is not too visited, it is the site in Nepal from where Guru established the root of the Vajrayana tradition.
Known as Bayul Eyi Tsuglakhang in Dzongkha, it is celebrated through a terma discovered by Ugyen Lingpa that goes:
“The Great One of Uddiyana spent three months in Nepal ༔ vastly benefiting the people of that land. ༔ Among them was Vasudhara, the Newar. ༔ After this, he hid treasures in the Temple of É.”(Revealed by Orgyen Lingpa)
THE BACKGROUND.
Guru Padmasambhava’s connection to this place is similar to the one in Bumthang Kurjey.
The Newar yogi king, Shilamanju, was in distress, as some evil spirits had kidnapped Shilamanju’s daughter, Kunla Kunsashi. The entire royal family supplicated upon their master to help them.
Having arrived here and entered the realm of spirits to retrieve the Newar princess, the site eventually became the first site of the Vajrayana teachings to the Newars – who all converted to Vajrayana Buddhism.
Guru’s Activity Seat
This place became the main seat of Guru in Kathmandu valley, and it is believed he lived here for many years – meeting with many siddhas and lay people. Over time, É Vihara became the springboard for tantric teachings as it expanded to the North. At one point, the place saw a streams of teachers, yogis, siddhas, as did skilled artisans.
According to the Tibetan sources, this is the place where the Tibetan minister, Nanam Dorje Dudjom (who later became one of the eight main disciples) met Guru and extended the invitation sent by King Trisong Detsen.
A sacred relic of this temple is the statue of Buddha Amitabha, from whose heart Guru is supposed to have emanated.
BARCHEL LAMSEL
the complex, the late Jadrel Rimpoche has renovated one section and built a rare Barchel Lamsel altar with all the manifestations of Guru that appear in Barchel Lamsel prayer.
You should take the opportunity to sit down and complete reciting the mantra.
GETTING THERE.
Patan is easily reached within Kathmandu by taxi. Depending on traffic, it takes 30-45 minutes to drive to the main gate from Boudha Stupa. It is near the most recognizable landmarks in Patan is the Hiranya Varna Mahavihar (Golden Temple).
I made my second visit to Yanglesho in Nepal and paid my respect to Guru Padmasambhava by reading the sacred Pema Kathang (or an attempt to be honest, but the intent was pure).
While Bodhgaya is a must for all Buddhists, for Vajrayana practitioners Yanglesho is mandatory, because it is the place of Guru Rimpoche’s attainment. To be more precise, it was here that he achieved Yangdak (ཡང་དག་) corresponding to the Enlightened Mind, after practicing the Yangdak Heruka (ཡང་དག་ཧེ་རུ་ཀ་) and Vajrakilaya.
Yanglesho also appears in the history of Bhutan as the place where the envoys of King Sindhu Raja of Bumthang found him when they came looking for him.
For centuries, devotees from Tibet, Bhutan and other Himalayan communities have traveled here to offer homage at the place where Guru Rinpoche gained the siddhi of Mahamudra. Of these four knowledge-holder attainments, the Knowledge-Holder of Mahamudra is supreme.
THE BACKGROUND.
According to ‘The Great Treasure of Blessing’ Guru Padasambhava was practicing the Sadhana of Yangdak Heruka when powerful local spirits caused a three-year drought and also threw in famine and diseases. Padmasambhava asked his teachers in India for a scripture to counter these attacks. The teachers sent him the tantra scripture of Dorje Phurba (Vajrakilaya) and the obstacles were thereafter pacified. Both Guru Rinpoche and his Nepalese consort Shakyadevi attained the third vidyadhara level. He was then referred to as Yanglesho Pandita by the locals.
In Soeldhep Lueduenma – a terma teaching conferred to Nanam Dorje Dudjom, a line appears:
“In the rock cave of Yangleshö in Nepal, You accomplished the practice of Yangdak, Essence of Great Bliss, Liberating all obstacles and obstructors through Vajrakilaya: And, in this sacred place, you attained the siddhi of mahamudra: To Dorje Tötreng Tsal, we pray! To the Lotus-born guru of Orgyen, we pray!”
VISITING THERE
There are two main caves – Yanglesho, where Guru spent the Winter, and the upper Asura Cave where he retreated during the Summer. And then there are two other very important sacred sites – The Self-Arisen Tara and Ganapati, and the temple of Dorje Neljorma (Vajrayogini) – established by Phamthingpa, who was a disciple of Naropa, and teachers of Marpa Lhotsawa. (Marpa Lhotsawa is the founder of Kagyu School of Tibetan Buddhism).
From Kathmandu take a taxi (driving time 1 – 1.5 hours) and shoot straight for the Self-ArisenTara and Ganapati (Drolma Rangjung) temple. After visiting it, walk up a few hundred steps to Asura Cave. There is a temple and Tshokhang built by Karmpa Lama, Trulku Ugyen Rimpoche. Spend as much time here in the cave and outside the cave to read, chant, and listen to Baza Guru, Barchel Lamsel or Soeldhep Luedhenma.
Then from Asura cave, walk down and before you hit the Car Parking there is a very sacred temple of Dorje Neljorma (Vajrayogini). And finally end your visit to Pharping with the legendary Yanglesho cave, which is right beside the road. There is a temple built by the Late Chatrel Rimpoche at the site.
FUN FACT
Pharping, and other sacred sites in Nepal, have lots of connections to Bhutan, and Bhutanese are most welcome by locals – owing to a history of generosity and patronage.
GETTING THERE
Pharping, the village that hosts all the above sites is some 25 kilometres from central Kathmandu. Take a taxi and go straight to Self-Arisen Tara Temple. CLICK HERE FOR LOCATION
A journey of a thousand miles with this single step.
Going through the images of the ceremony to mark the start of Gelephu International Airport, my heart feels humbled, awed and proud.
At the last National Day His Majesty said that He would make His little children work there. “Even Sonam Yangden – even if she can carry just a pebble.” (Unofficial translation). To hear those heavily loaded words of commitment is something. Seeing them turn into action is totally a different feeling. I am simply awed, to say the least. There are no words to adequately express what the country is feeling.
Nonetheless, let me scribble this for posterity.
I got very emotional to see HRH Gyalsey Ugyen Wangchuck (especially) working. Maybe it is because Gyalsey Ugyen is the same age like my grandson. On the other hand, my heart is filled with immense love and pride for our Crown Prince who can seen carrying a large boulder with bare hands. Theirs outputs may be little, but the impact is huge – spreading to thousands of Bhutanese hearts across the globe.
The picture of young Gyalsups and Dessups who have showed up to build the future is reassuring. They will be the direct beneficiaries when this dream becomes a reality.
They say, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Here it was that single boulder put away from His Majesty with his bare hands. My heart is full, and so are my eyes. 🥹🥹🥹
I join the nation in saying a little prayer tonight, for our own collective success.
For it is our project – for our own future.
🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
(The new Gelephu International Airport project is the first major infrastructure to come up at the newly-envisioned Gelephu Mindfulness City in south Bhutan. Known as GMC it will be a new futuristic city that will blend modern living with nature, culture, health and wellbeing – and not a total pursuit of economic growth, but a balance one)
My posts on acquiring scripture written with gold ink drew a lot of interest and enquiries. A few also asked me what it was, which didn’t really surprise me. Another asked me the use of having a copy at home. For the sake of all sentient beings, let me share here what I have shared. (I directed the orders to Lam Kesang).
What is a sutra?
Simply put, sutras (Dz. མདོ་, doh) are teachings of Buddha in their original form.
The first set of sutras was written right after Buddha’s passing away. His cousin and closest attendant called Ananda gathered all the closest disciples in Rajgir in India, and they started writing down the discourses and sermons made by Buddha in his lifetime.
Historians agree that Buddha did not write anything down, but lived a life of a wandering monk, and taught people wherever he went. His followers like Ananda and Saiputra and other close disciples were believed to have superb memories that they could recollect and recite the teachings of Buddha in entirety. Hence, one unique feature of the sutras is that they start with the phrase, “Thus, I heard” to mean that they were reproducing what they heard and where.
What is the Heart Sutra?
The Heart Sutra (Sherub Nyingpo in Dzongkha) is one of the 40 texts that comes under the title known as Prajnaparamitasutra. Prajna means ‘wisdom’ and paramita means ‘perfection’, and this sutra forms the core of Mahayana Buddhism.
Legend has it that the original concept was taught by Buddha at Vulture Peak in Rajgir, and written down by a disciple of Manjushri. It was later entrusted to the Nagas of the underworld for safekeeping, and to be revealed when humanity was ready to receive it.
The legend then has it that in the Second Century, an Indian scholar is believed to have entered the Naga’s world, and to have bestowed on them the Buddha Dharma. In gratitude for teaching them, the Naga king gifted one set of Prajnaparamita texts to him. And because he managed to win the nagas, he was subsequently referred to as Nagarjuna (Noble Naga).
Heart Sutra expounds on the concept of emptiness, that everything and every phenomenon in the universe is empty of any inherent, independent or of permanent nature. And instead, everything is interconnected and interdependent. The text is a conversation between Sariputra and bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara. It forms the foundation of the Mahayana and Vajrayana schools.
Between facts and fiction in Buddhism.
One thing that I observe with younger Bhutanese, who are mostly urban born and bred, is that they are apprehensive of the mythological aspects of Buddhism as contradicting the philosophical teachings of the Buddha, and the actual historical accounts. Add to that the latter Vajrayana practices that include magic and miracles and endless rituals.
First of all, myths and legends form an integral part of any religion. When I was young, I attended a Catholic boarding school where I was told that Jesus walked on water. Instead of questioning that, I thought, how cool it would be if I could also walk on water.
Second, navigating between facts and fictions in Buddhism requires understanding that many concepts and legends have to be understood at different levels. At the ‘outer’ level you accept them literally. But at ‘inner’ level you try to appreciate the deeper philosophical underpinnings. Then finally there is the ‘secret’ level where you internalise and become the concept or the image itself.
Above all, Buddhism, regardless of schools and sects, has one aim – to guide the practitioners towards realisation – by understanding their true nature of the reality around them. It could be achieved through meditation, discipline and ethical conduct (Theravada school), or through appreciating the wisdom of emptiness and the core practices of loving-kindness and compassion and wisdom (Mahayana tradition).
Our Stories define who we are.
Despite being a science and engineering student for most all my life (at 35 I switched to journalism and filmmaking), and deep-diving into Buddhism only in my third career as an academic, I have always been open-minded to absorb everything Buddhism had to offer – the philosophy and the power, and the magic and the miracles.
Historical facts and accounts make us knowledgeable, but stories and legends inspire us as individuals, bind us as a society and as common humanity, and transmit timeless values across generations. A story is what makes life worth living, a culture worth preserving, and a nation worth fighting for.
Blame it on western education or its obsession with rationalism and positivism, we often place philosophy, history and devotion in separate boxes. And yet, it is not uncommon in Bhutan to teach history that is mixed with myths and heroes and divinities. Without being apologetic about this, I would say that this is the beauty of Bhutan. After all, to paraphrase my friends in the West, science does not have answers to everything, and spirituality helps make sense of the world where logic stops. And life, it is about making sense of the world around us, every moment that we breathe.
Benefit of having a copy of Heart Sutra scripture.
Coming back to the sutras, it is believed that the pages not only relay the timeless teachings of Gautama Buddha, but also emit his power and blessings.
In recent weeks, I have read deeply into the Heart Sutra, and moved by the profundity of the teachings on emptiness and its offshoots of wisdom and compassion, I took the opportunity to commission a personal copy – written in gold ink. It was done by the same people who produced the first holy Kangyur in Bhutan – on the royal command of our King.
Now, because the Prajnaparamita was discovered by Nagarjuna, whom the nagas and serpent-kings revere, having a copy of Heart Sutra is believed to protect you from diseases that nagas usually launch us, and from bad dreams and conflicts at home.
May the teachings of Buddha Dharma flourish forever.
For the past two weeks, I have been mostly confined to my home in Thimphu. Reason: a second-degree burn on my right foot. A boiling cup of coffee fell on my feet.
It was right as I was prepping for the signing of the MoU on 19th June for a big power deal which I had initiated. I made it to the event with sandals though (I apologise to all high officials that I had to break protocol, whoever noticed).
The burn was bad and was debilitating. A pilgrimage plan had to be canceled. Stranded at home with my doctor-friend advising me not to go out. It seemed impermanence just dropped by to say, hello!
However, two things kept me going.
First, there is a lesson that life is subjective. You think you are in bad shape? With a little empathy, you will see many around you in worse situations. Compared to what others may be going through, the three weeks of prognosis I got for my burn is a little karmic joke.
Moral: If you think only of your misery, you will be more miserable. Look around. Talk to people. Many would wish they were in your shoes.
Second, I completed reading the translation of the two most important sutras in Mahayana Buddhism – the Diamond Sutra, and the Heart Sutra. I bought this book. I don’t know when, and I could only read it this time. Had this minor accident not happened, the book would still continue to gather dust.
I also had the time to think about ordering the Heart Sutra scriptures written in gold ink. The full title of the Heart Sutra is The Heart of the Blessed Perfection of Wisdom (བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་མ་ཤེས་རབ་ཀྱི་ཕ་རོལ་ཏུ་ཕྱིན་པའི་སྙིང་པོ་). What a blessing to be able to do that! (Will do a separate article on this).
Good karma or bad karma?
Was the burn on my foot bad karma or good karma? I would like to think that it was the latter. Because I got it done, there was not a single moment in the last two weeks that I complained about it. In fact, my spirits were high, and I was still dishing out memes and one-liners on taxation and other current issues. And, yes, it gave me the opportunity to read the Heart Sutra.
Moral: When life takes you to a different place, find something more worthwhile to do there.
Dorji Wangchuk 