ART OF WAR TO ART OF LIVING CHAPTER 6

Chapter 6 PADDLE IS IN YOUR HAND Dayung sudah di tangan, perahu sudah di air. “The paddle is in your hand, the canoe is in the water.” — Malay Proverb Malaysia, A True Asian Experience As their Thai airways flight was landing, Xiao Ming was in admiration of the 451 m tall Petronas Twin Towers, a pair of glass-and-steel-clad skyscrapers with Islamic motifs. She attempted to focus on the public sky bridge and observation deck. “This is indeed a marvellous structure,” Lu Yao remarked. They were booked at the one of the picks of Kuala Lumpur, the RuMa Hotel and Residences, located in the city-Centre district. “I’ll head to the pool now to refresh myself,” Xiao Ming called out to Lu Yao as she walked out of the room. They had finished settling into their accommodation. She purveyed the place as she reached the outdoor area and noticed a hustle in an adjoining garden. Something pulled her like a magnet towards the garden. Xiao Ming found a group of Buddhists seated on neatly laid out carpets with a low seat placed on a platform. Though dressed in ochre robes and seated on the ground, they all looked affluent. As she stood riveted to the spot, a senior Japanese monk arrived and began 43 addressing the group. The monk spoke in clear, warm voice which carried all the way to where Xiao Ming stood. By now she had inadvertently moved a few steps closer to the gathering. “Prior to attaining enlightenment, the Sakyamuni eschewed austere penances and his friends, the Pañcavaggiya monks. Seven weeks after attaining enlightenment under the Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya, Buddha left Uruvela and travelled to Isipatana, near present day Sarnath, just outside Varanasi in India, to rejoin them. The Enlightened One used his spiritual powers; he had seen that his five former companions would be able to understand Dharma quickly. While travelling to Sarnath, Gautama Buddha had no money to pay the ferryman to cross the Ganges, so he crossed it through the air. Later when King Bimbisāra heard about this, he abolished the toll for ascetics. Gautama Buddha found his former companions and enlightened them with the teachings of the Dharma. It was at that time that the Sangha or the community of the enlightened ones, was founded. The sermon that Buddha gave to the five monks was his first sermon, called the Dhammacakkappavattana sutta or the Spinning the Wheel. Interestingly the sermon was delivered on a full-moon day of Asalha Puja. Buddha, subsequently also spent his first rainy season at Sarnath, at the Mulagandha Kuti. All the milestones in the life of Buddha occurred on full moon days - his birth, enlightenment, his first sermon and Mahaparinirvana. So, friends there is a deep connect between the moon and mind,” the monk concluded. “This is quite incredible! I was born on a full moon day and the full moon seems to have a remarkable connection with Buddha’s life,” Xiao Ming thought to herself, wondering if there was any greater significance to what she had just heard. “We will all recite the Dhammacakkappavattana sutta now, about the first Dharma Deshana. With utmost humility, invoke the spirit of the Sakyamuni, pray and meditate with all 44 earnestness,” a postulant announced at a signal from the senior monk. Xiao Ming was immensely grateful that she had been just in time to hear the sermon. She closed her eyes and listened to the sonorous sutras and mapped in her brain the momentous events of Buddha’s life. This was another attempt that she was making to relate the concepts of brain and mind. She opened her eyes and saw in disbelief the same monk who had spoken to her at the Phoenix Temple. Stunned, but immensely at peace within herself, Xiao Ming closed her eyes and continued soaking in the chanting. After the session was over, she walked up to the radiant senior monk, paid obeisance and narrated her story in brief to him. The perspicacious one sporting a deiform smile, nodded his head and blessed Xiao Ming. He asked her to visit the Buddhist temples in Malaysia and travel further westwards to India. “Be careful and be on guard against all desires, as Buddha said desire is the root cause of all miseries.” Saying so, he turned around and meandered among the other followers seeking his blessings. “He looks so angelic and if there is such a thing as God, he would be like this monk. Is this how Buddha looked?” That night, Xiao Ming was ecstatic, for she felt she had reached a milestone. Certainly, she had received a pointer to the right direction. She was determined to celebrate this small victory. “Well, I am human not God. I’m going to have a blast today,” she told Lu Yao. “After all, do not the Gods have their ambrosia!” Much to the chagrin of Lu Yao, she headed to the club, a reluctant and confused Lu Yao following her. After jiving for a while, they settled down at the luxurious restaurant. Without any hesitation she ordered a lavish meal and washed it down 45 with a decent amount of wine. Heading back to their room, Xiao Ming had an excruciating time trying to sleep. She ended up tossing around for quite some time, before eventually falling off to sleep. The next morning Xiao Ming woke up with a splitting headache and galling nausea. Looking and feeling rather sheepish, she gracefully accepted the black coffee and a couple of aspirin tablets that Lu Yao offered. “Look at you! You look awful. Let’s get some exercise and fresh air!” Lu Yao remonstrated. The pair headed to the pool and Xiao Ming made valiant attempts to do a few laps. But there was hardly any hand, body and brain co-ordination. She finally gave up and flopped down on a lounger. This had never happened to her before. Xiao Ming would always gloat about her health. But today she felt enfeebled. She recollected the sagacious words of the Japanese monk,” … as Buddha said desire is the root cause of all miseries.” This misery though, was certainly self-inflicted Xiao Ming thought wryly. Determined not to allow her weakness to get the better of her, she got ready and headed out along with Lu Yao to the Thean Hou Temple or God of Mercy. Just as well, she told her boyfriend, she could seek clemency for her past indiscretions and for the previous night too. The guide at the Thean Hou Temple explained the architectural features and the beauty and intricacies of the holy six-tiered temple of the Chinese Sea Goddess, Mazu. The construction of the edifice was apparently completed in 1987 and it was declared open in the year 1989. The temple was built by the Hainanese community inhabiting Malaysia. Xiao Ming was primarily an explorer and had always experimented with life and its various facets, contours and nuances. As she was exploring the temple, she was exploring her brain, her thoughts and thought she detected a shift in her thought process. 46 Of course, she swayed from euphoric and ecstatic moments to feelings of inadequacy and guilt. But like the adventurer who traversed westwards fourteen hundred years back, she was glad she too had embarked upon the journey though in a more ostentatious manner. At the Guan Yin temple, she decided to dump the guide and discover the place along with her boyfriend. The place of worship was first provided the appellation of Goddess of Mercy or the Mercy Goddess by Jesuit missionaries or The Society of Jesus in China. She was to learn that subsequently Buddhism embraced it in their fold. “Was this act necessary?” She was nagged by this thought as she wandered across the sprawling temple complex. “Did it not amount to proselytization?” she asked Lu Yao who didn’t have much to add. They then forayed into the grandiose syncretic temple which was an admixture of Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism representing an admirable combination of modern architectural techniques and authentic traditional design featuring imposing pillars, spectacular roofs, ornate carvings and intricate embellishments. Xiao Ming travelled through the temple in a valorous attempt to establish a connect with some unknown superior power that could answer her questions on living in abundance yet feeling an enormous sense of lack. Indulgences were only temporary solutions. She had had glimpses of something unknown, something that she could not process or explain with the science and logic at her disposal. Were these experiences manifestations of a superior person akin to Buddha? However, all of these were ephemeral. She was still far, far away from experiencing peace and or finding the quintessential truth. At the Goddess of Mercy Temple, she did not find anything which could challenge her brain or stimulate or excite her. She 47 felt disappointed. Malaysia is populated with variegated, beautiful tourist spots, diversity, and plenty of adventure on offer, which is showcased smartly. Xiao Ming decided to take a break from her “spiritual sojourn” as she was aware that Lu Yao needed a break too. They spent two days visiting iconic sights like the Petronas Towers. The breath-taking sunset was quite in variance with what she used to witness from Shanghai Towers which stood at 612metres and Pin An Finance Centre in Shenzhen at 599metres. These gargantuan structures dwarfed the majestic Petronas Towers which stood at a height of 451metres. But sunset was magical and mystical in terms of quality. “You are now able to grasp pristine beauty in creation to which you never paid attention before,” Lu Yao said to Xiao Ming. On an impulse, they made a detour to the west coast to visit the colonial city of Georgetown which had made it to the UNESCO World Heritage Site. They took in the museums, seaside fort and historic homes with avid interest. Most importantly Xiao Ming and Lu Yao visited a temple of standing Buddha. From the reclining Buddha posture, she was to see the standing Buddha. Her brain tried to analyse the postures of Buddha. “Why is there a reclining Buddha, a standing Buddha and a Buddha sitting in what they refer to as the lotus posture? Is there any difference to his chi levels or the wisdom he imparted? Or are these merely an artist’s imagination, I wonder!” she thought to herself. Xiao Ming had visited Malaysia in her business pursuits and had luxuriated seeing the entire country but was rarely disappointed by the old town in Malacca. If nothing else, the relaxed vibe was alluring enough to keep her around for a few days. The proximity to Kuala Lumpur was another added attraction. *************** 48 After a few days of lazing around and visiting various touristy sites with Lu Yao, Xiao Ming embarked on a solo journey to the Chan See Shu Yuen Temple, one of the oldest and largest surviving Buddhist temples in Malaysia. The temple is characterized by a typical open courtyard and symmetrical pavilions, and decorated with colourful paintings, woodcarvings and ceramic fixtures. “The structure was constructed between 1897 and 1906,” said the guide. “It is an elaborate temple with intricately carved kwang-tung roof, gables and specially-crafted terracotta friezes with monumental Chinese history peppered with mythological scenes,” he added. The backpacker from Shenzhen was amazed witnessing mythical tapestry of her motherland. The atheist had never paid any attention to these aspects of the rich Chinese culture. But these images did not trigger any release of endorphins in her brain. Only the couple of unusual apparitions and the Buddha had struck a chord in her brain. Meanwhile she saw that decorating the edges of the Chan See Shu Yuen Temple were blue ceramic vases and small statues of peasants who were the guardians of the temple, armed with poles crowned with lanterns; on either side of the entrance gate are shrines to the male and female guardians. “This is interesting, deities need to be guarded and protected too! I thought they are supposed to defend us,” Xiao Ming said to the nonplussed guide. “The temple served a dual function as both a shrine and a community centre. It was originally built as a kongsi or clan house for families with the surnames Chan, Chen or Tan,” the guide finished his description. In all his years of escorting tourists to familiar and unfamiliar places, he never came across a person like Xiao Ming who was virtually dissecting every statement or description he made. Xiao Ming got back to the RuMa Hotel. The break from the spiritual sojourns had given Lu Yao a much-needed break 49 and he seemed the happier for it. Taking an extra day off to spend with him, Xiao Ming announced that she intended to visit the Batu Caves Temple in the coming days. *************** Rising almost hundred metres above the ground, the Batu Caves temple complex consists of three main caves and a few smaller ones. The biggest, referred to as Cathedral Cave or Temple Cave, has a very high ceiling and features ornate Hindu shrines. To reach it, visitors must climb up a steep flight of 272 steps. She was quite impressed with the climb. She always enjoyed climbing to remain fit as she did at her place of work. “Are all temples in India perched on hills? Does it involve physical exercise to reach your deities each time?” she was to ask a group of Indians climbing along with her. She of course walked up twenty floors every day. Xiao Ming learnt that the Batu Caves Temples are singular as a focal point of the significant contribution made by the Indian settlers in the development of Malaya and then Malaysia. The 113-year-old main temple is dedicated to Lord Subramaniar, son of Lord Shiva, also known as the destructor in the Hindu pantheon of Gods. “Your deities annihilate?” she asked a group of faithful Hindus. Xiao Ming learnt that the main cave, the Temple Cave, in a hilly massif was also known as Bukit Batu or Rocky Hill. The name was derived from a nearby river, known as Sungai Batu or Rocky River. Xiao Ming had mixed feelings and emotions and had had vastly different experiences during her unusual anchorage in her journey westwards. These countries were rich and abundant, the people were not impoverished, and they appeared contented. China, she could not but think, though through market communism had acquired enormous wealth, perhaps did not possess such contentment. 50 Her country had acquired military and economic power and assumed a hegemonic status. Xiao Ming too faced penury and rose to enjoy power and wealth. The wealth remained but she had lost out on power, she remembered. “Xiao Ming if you were still in possession of the app, would you have still embarked on this voyage of self-discovery?” Lu Yao asked her one evening as they sat by the pool. “Honestly, I don’t think I would have come anywhere near all of this,” Xiao Ming waved her hand. “But I still miss having my company and the app.” “Believe me, the Party could use the humongous amount of information better. Data could be mined for greater good,” Lu Yao replied. Shrugging her shoulders, Xiao Ming answered, somewhat sadly “I no longer know what I believe. I have no answers and certainly I have yet to discover peace.” “Well, I’ll admit it is not a piece of Chinese egg cake,” he answered. Shortly afterwards they headed to the reception. As Lu Yao attended to some business, Xiao Ming sat in the lobby where some travel magazines from India caught her eye. Her sharp eyes were fixated at an advertisement featuring an organisation called Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation or IRCTC for short. The corporation, she learnt, operated tours to prominent Buddhist shrines in India. Xiao Ming was immensely pleased at this providential discovery. She couldn’t wait to share with Lu Yao the plans bubbling in her mind. She felt she had received a blessing, a magical opening, pointing a direction for her quest. “My destiny lies there,” she was firmly convinced. “Look at this! I think it would be a great idea to visit the Buddhist sites in India,” Xiao Ming informed the Lu Yao the minute he joined her in the lobby. “It would help me to understand the philosophy of Buddhism and the Buddha himself. In fact, Xuan Zang himself had visited these spots. 51 There are a large number of places for a person to visit and soak in the tenets of Buddhism,” she continued excitedly as Lu Yao looked at her, puzzled. Once she had blurted out everything that was on her mind, Xiao Ming realised that she would not have been too intelligible to Lu Yao. Slowly and with greater clarity, she explained to Lu Yao that she intended to travel to India. Predictably, Lu Yao was not in favour of this new plan formulated by her. He reminded her about the lack of safety of solo female travellers in India, not to mention the violence against women. However, his misgivings about India were dispelled by Xiao Ming as she displayed a humungous number of reviews online from solo female travellers from other countries. “Well, if the Irish, French, American and Vietnamese women can travel solo in India, why not a Chinese woman?” Xiao Ming asked Lu Yao. The duo continued the discussion in their hotel room. Finally, Lu Yao acquiesced to Xiao Ming’s decision, observing the self-belief and credence in the woman who was slowly but surely becoming an integral part of his life. He was happy to assist her and did not wish to place any road blocks on her voyage of self-discovery. Lu Yao was a successful in his own right and his mind and heart were fired with patriotic fervour. He held the women of his motherland to be in no way inferior to anyone. Meanwhile, Xiao Ming had soon booked herself on IRCTC’s Buddha Express Special Tourist Train and applied for a visa online. As things fell into place, Xiao Ming was saddened by the fact that Lu Yao would not be able to join her on the trip. He would travel back to China as per their initial plan. “Well, I have to pick up the threads and travel solo on this voyage just like Buddha and Xuan Zang,” Xiao Ming said to 52 Lu Yao, as her luggage was loaded into the waiting cab. Lu Yao had a flight back to Shenzhen later in the day. Xiao Ming promised and assured her boyfriend that they would stay in touch on a regular basis, in fact on a daily basis. “I’ll text and of course we can call each other. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine,” Xiao Ming said as she planted a kiss on his cheek. The different statues of Buddha, the unusual experience in the gardens of an upmarket hotel of Kuala Lumpur, the Batu Caves, all these were ingrained in her brain as she drove to the airport to catch the flight to New Delhi a few days later.