Rude Awakenings - Forest Sangha Publications

^0 T R E A S U R E 06on the temple, the assassination of Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards,and the subsequent rioting and murder of Sikhs by Hindus.Memories—the hypnosis of history fixing the future into the pattern ofthe past.Opening into the present is the only sane ground. Fittingly the lastscene in Patna was back on that lakelike ground floor of the gurdwara,where Ram Rattan Singh met us and steered us into the dining hall forthe langar, the communal meal that is one of the oldest Sikh traditions.Roti and dhal were served to all, and we sat on the floor in the sacred fraternityof eating. A Sangha of sorts. Through the gateway at last.That was a suitable time for leaving. We were heading for Nalanda.Not directly, the way of the main road, but via a road heading southtoward Bir. Nick felt that if we headed down that road, he could find away of cutting across country that would make the walk more pleasant.Ram was delighted: his cousin lived somewhere down that road at aplace called Baldarichak. He wrote a note to his cousin, gave it to Nick,and walked along with us for a way. We left him in a Sikh jewellery storeowned by one of the elders of the temple committee, campaigningagain about the lack of hospitality shown to us. Jai Ram!By the side of the road toward sunset, another puja. Afterward Inoticed how pleasant it was to be sitting in a field carefully using a needleto get a splinter out of Nick’s foot. It seemed like one of the moresacred acts that I had undertaken in the last month.After dark the walking was still flowing on; some fellow driving a tractorstopped and jabbered at us excitedly ... same old stuff about dangerand bandits. “Baldarichak!” we threw at him, half crazy with walking,and went on. “Baldarichak the Beautiful, City of Our Dreams,” wejoked. Baldarichak! Whoever went to Balderichak?And Nalanda, Rajgir, and Bodh Gaya—more dreams destined tobecome memories. Yet I plodded along, one foot shrouded in bandagesand carrying a few less ideas. All right to be stupidly plodding in stupidBihar. Was this the way to follow the Buddha? Who knows.1 9 1