Leaving Nalanda around 3 am, I arrived by train to Howrah Station and was met by Venerable Ananda. We then drove through Howrah and Kolkata to the Bodhisukha Temple/School. My traveling partner and I were given rooms and dinner and then it was time for much needed sleep.
I was also told that the many Burmese people staying here in the rooms next to mine are here from Myanmar to receive kidney transplants in Kolkata. These people are in need of kidney transplants which they cannot get in Myanmar. They do not know Hindi or English, so are totally dependent upon the monks at Bodhisukha to help them with their hospital experience. The head monk himself spent the day before at the hospital waiting in the queue for three Burmese who needed transplants.
My accommodations here are simple. I have a private room and a private bathroom. I receive my meals in my room. The humidity is very high here. All the corners of my books are curling up and the clothes that I’ve hung to dry are still slightly damp. Mosquitoes are fierce here and I had to break out the chemical repellent last night. I only have a small piece of mosquito netting that I brought from America. It was enough to cover my head and arms, which allowed me to sleep without the mosquitoes buzzing in my ears!
There is some bamboo scaffolding leaning against the front of my hostel. Once when I walked down the few steps to the dirt path, I was not paying attention and bumped my head on the horizontal bamboo. For a few seconds my mind wondered why they would place the bamboo bar so low, but then I realized that it was there to remind myself to be “mindful.” After that, I came to those steps and said “be mindful” and observed as I walked up or down the steps. Unfortunately, when one of the monks came to get me, at the same time, I received a phone call from him. It turned out I had saved his name with someone else’s phone number. So as I followed the monk, I was also trying to delete the entry in my mobile phone. Whack!!! A nice hard reminder to my forehead that instead of paying attention to my walking and following the monk, I was distracted by my phone!!! Lesson learned, I hope!
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| streets of Kolkata |
The next day, I had breakfast in my room and then met the head monk, Venerable Nanda Varsa. He explained how there was a primary school here and also three American teachers who teach English to the monks once a year. He said that next year he will invite me to come and teach, as well.
I was also told that the many Burmese people staying here in the rooms next to mine are here from Myanmar to receive kidney transplants in Kolkata. These people are in need of kidney transplants which they cannot get in Myanmar. They do not know Hindi or English, so are totally dependent upon the monks at Bodhisukha to help them with their hospital experience. The head monk himself spent the day before at the hospital waiting in the queue for three Burmese who needed transplants.
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| Bed sheets with my initials! |
There is some bamboo scaffolding leaning against the front of my hostel. Once when I walked down the few steps to the dirt path, I was not paying attention and bumped my head on the horizontal bamboo. For a few seconds my mind wondered why they would place the bamboo bar so low, but then I realized that it was there to remind myself to be “mindful.” After that, I came to those steps and said “be mindful” and observed as I walked up or down the steps. Unfortunately, when one of the monks came to get me, at the same time, I received a phone call from him. It turned out I had saved his name with someone else’s phone number. So as I followed the monk, I was also trying to delete the entry in my mobile phone. Whack!!! A nice hard reminder to my forehead that instead of paying attention to my walking and following the monk, I was distracted by my phone!!! Lesson learned, I hope!
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