Nepal
Katmandu
The planning for this trip did not begin with the intention to make a Buddhist pilgrimage to the birthplace of the Buddha. It was much simpler: I wanted to pay respects to one specific monk.
A group of volunteer from Insight Meditation Society faciliated a meditation group for prisoners at NCCI-Gardner. One day they brought in a visiting monk named Sayadaw U Vivekenanda. It was mind blowing to witness a man draped in crimson robes enter the prison. The sight of his holiness being escorted by guards has never left me.
I sat in awe for the entire 2.5 hour visit. The Sayadaw’s physical presence was different. He vibrated at a different frequency. I wanted that for myself! Don’t we all want more peace and love in our lives? Don’t we want to exude those qualities for others?
I began dreaming about visiting his intensive meditation center in Lumbini, Nepal.
Lumbini
The excitement of arriving in Lumbini was short lived. The idea of spending 45 days with a world renowned Sayadaw was tantalizing, but the reality was a bit different. He demanded the highest level of effort as is traditional within the Mahasi tradition. The meditation schedule was grueling and the nun was there to enforce it. Ideally, you will cultivate enough concentration to support a rigorous continuity of mindfulness. It’s hard. I mean HARD.
This lofty expectation is coupled with compassion. The Sayadaw sincerely wants his students to wake up. He wants us to find liberation. His methods are couched within this context which made the process tolerable.
