Rude Awakenings - Forest Sangha Publications

^0 T H E D R U M 06job, but had enough education to know of the appalling economic statisticsof this part of the world. Eighty million people in Bihar, withnearly half of that population “below the poverty line” (defined as theamount needed to buy food giving 2,100 calories per day) was an exampleof the figures that occupied my host’s mind. And having no equationfor happiness other than the one that materialism presented, he wasin a more depressed state than the poorer villagers. It was good that mypresence at least revitalized his dharma in terms of hospitality and presenteda different way of measuring life. “Tomorrow, you must bringyour friend. I will show you around the sites.”I returned to the temple feeling rather pleased with this small boostfor the practise of a samana. Nick was also more invigorated, and reckonedthat, as tonight was our all-night meditation vigil, the intelligentthing would be to get an hour or so’s rest. We moved out into the backyard,to stretch out somewhere where a clump of bushes offered meagreshade and the drumbeat was less tangible than inside. It didn’t work.That was as far as my Buddha energy could go. Another afternoon ofbeing pounded left us with the vigour of a couple of aged teddy bears.So much for the all-night meditation. My stuffing was all out even beforemidnight, leaving me just enough wit to recognize that being slumpedagainst the wall was no more of a vigil than lying on a bed. You couldcall that a direct realisation. At times, Most Reverend Fuji’s assessmentof meditation practise, although not in accord with the scriptures,summed up my attempts quite well.N I C KTo get anywhere in Vaishali we had to walk around the tank. Big andoblong, the size of several football pitches, it had steps leading down intothe water and here and there a tree hanging over it. There were kingfishers:the pied kingfisher, its striking black and white markings a chequeredflashing as it hovered above the water, beak pointing straight1 5 9