9-4-15 Maha Bodhi Society of Sri Lanka, Sanchi, India 25,458 steps, 13.56 miles (with pack)
“Spiritual relationship is far more precious than physical. Physical relationship divorced from spiritual is body without soul.”
– Gandhi
As I hopped on a bus bound for Satdhāra, I couldn’t help but notice the confused expressions of my fellow passengers. I knew this journey would take me to my destination, and I settled in for the ride, closing my eyes occasionally to focus on my body and the sensations it was experiencing. As the bus dropped me off on an empty corner, surrounded by nothing but rural farmlands, I knew I had a long walk ahead of me. The sign read “Satdhāra 7km”, and with no vendors in sight and the sun beating down on me, I set off on foot, my water bottle empty.
Fortunately, I came across a village on my way and a kind man filled my water bottle. As I continued down the empty road, I missed my turn due to a Hindi sign that looked like nothing more than squiggles to me.
The sole visitor at Satdhāra
Eventually, I arrived at Satdhāra and was greeted by a single caretaker. There were no other tourists around, only centuries-old stupas for me to observe. I could feel and picture the presence of the monks who had once lived here in humble contemplation.
One stupa stood out among the rest, towering magnificently above dozens of smaller stupas. The smaller stupas appeared to be restored, but there were also mounds of rock rubble where other stupas and monasteries had once stood.
Vipassanā Meditation sitting at Satdhāra
I took a seat on a stone bench beneath a mango tree, close to the main stupa and finally found pure silence, with nothing but the sound of nature. I closed my eyes, perfected my posture and began to scan my body for sensations, trying to resist the urge to swat the flies that were crawling across my skin or to scratch my nose when it tickled. I scanned my body, starting from my head and working my way down to my toes, and then back up again, mostly observing the sensation of the light breeze as it passes over my skin
I then looked inward, attempting to feel sensations in my brain and observing my heart beat throughout my body. Next, I walked to a cliff-side painting and climbed down to discover a well-preserved, centuries-old painting of a Buddha image.
Serenity of the Sonari Stupas
“What we think, we become.”
– Buddha
After that, I boarded a bus headed to Salamat Pur, where I exited the bus, picked up some rations, and asked for directions. I had a lovely walk through Sonari Village, where adorable children greeted me. As I pass, I said, “Namaste” and made a prayer gesture with my hands. They do the same, with beaming smiles.
As I made my way through the village, I continued to rely on hand signals for directions. The last lady I saw simply pointed to a hill.
I walked alone in nature for two miles, taking the more worn paths and suddenly, I looked up to see a giant stupa in the distance. I shut off my phone, removed my watch, and placed all the items in my pockets in my bag. I wondered about the symbolism and functionality of the stupa shape as I admired the two big stupas.
Clearing the mind through the observation of sensations
With no shade in sight near the big stupas, I made my way to two smaller, well-preserved and well-restored stupas. I sat beneath a small tree and began meditating on a rock, but quickly found it uncomfortable and sat on the ground. My mind wandered, alternating between pleasant and unpleasant past events and future hopes. I stayed focused, especially when the wind faded and sensations became more difficult to observe. I felt my pulse throughout most of my body, including a pulse sensation within my brain. After 1 hour and 15 minutes of stillness, I took some pictures and began my journey back to Sanchi. Not a single other person was at the Sonari Stupas when I left.
11-4-15 Maha Bodhi Society of Sri Lanka, Sanchi, India 16,222 steps, 8.44 miles
Mind clear, focused simply on breath going in, breath going out. Subtle hum of the fan. Horns gently honking in the distance. Baby crying in nearby room. Moth flutters near the light. Patterns of lotus flowers dance across the mind.
A light breeze glances across the skin. The sun makes its departure from the horizon. Seated on a rock beneath a cave, peering into the vast array of farms and mountain peaks in the distance. Sun’s rays shielded by the cave overhang. Deposits of stone ruins etched with lotus flowers strewn about the grounds. Stones stacked meticulously, each with its respective place. Lizards slither into the rock surface. The breeze dips across the cliff sides. Visions of simple lives, peering into the distant skyline, detached from fast-paced dealings.
You must first go inward
Going inward searching for the heart’s beat, instead trembling overtakes the scan for sensation. Paint brush eagerly awaits its swift swipes across the empty canvas. Images of lotus flowers appear faintly outlined in the mind’s memory. Jumbled bits of survival mechanisms. Sprinting from inebriated souls. Compassion for pasts not witnessed in the moment, but bearing influence in the present. Exchange the pertinent information for future peace of mind. Clear the dust from the public eye. Pulling the plug on the electric glow. Darkness casts silence across humming energies. Creation of moments, purely passing through timeless space. History’s pages unfold.
