Rude Awakenings - Forest Sangha Publications

^0 S E C O N D M O O N 06and a dark brown cloak over it clasped at her shoulder, she made herflock, dressed in Western clothes, look very ordinary. She led them tothe stupa, where they performed an elaborate puja with a lot of chantingof high-pitched voices and big bundles of smoking incense. Westood quietly behind them until she noticed Ajahn Sucitto and had himjoin her at the front. I stayed at the back, moving off to take some photographs.It made a great scene.After the puja was finished we were asked in halting English wherewe were from and about our pilgrimage. They were from Malaysia,mostly Malaysian Chinese I suspected, and were very taken with ourintention to walk round the holy sites. The nun was particularly enthusiasticand tried to give Ajahn Sucitto some money. His explanation thathe did not use it only resulted in her being even more impressed, andonce she had worked out that I could receive the money, she had her disciplesshower me with Indian bank notes. Then they had to leave—theywere on a tight schedule, taking two weeks to do what it would take usmost of six months.As they drove off we turned to walk back to the Burmese Vihara. Iwas still clutching the bank notes and I could not help but reflect on theeffect of money; it was so hard to use it skilfully, it was such sticky stuff.The generosity of unskilful pilgrims resulted in monks begging andchaukidars trying to sell flowers they did not own. Although theBurmese Vihara was set up as a service for pilgrims it now seemed toseek out the wealthy ones. On the other hand there was such joy to behad from the giving of money and the blessing that it could bring. Iresolved to give all our new bank notes to the Chinese Temple. Theyneeded it more than we did and they weren’t hassling for it.A J A H N S U C I T T OOn the last morning I tried walking for alms with my bowl in the village.To my surprise at first, there was no devotional or hospitable9 6