The most profound thing I've seen in my life
During my trip to Ayutthaya, I was able to visit Wat Mahathat and saw the iconic Buddha head entwined in the roots of the bodhi tree. Before coming to the pagoda, I was overly excited. However, the moment I got close to the tree, I did not have that overwhelming feeling that I was expecting.
I stood in front of the tree for another 15 minutes. Looking at the Buddha head being trapped in the roots, I found that it was really beautiful and fascinating. But, I was still not feeling anything spiritually moving.
Several tourists (taking their selfies) already passed by and I was still standing there. I was just staring blankly and suddenly reminded of the words of Thich Nhat Hanh:
“Many people think excitement is happiness.... But when you are excited you are not peaceful. True happiness is based on peace.”
The moment I thought of it, tears flowed in my eyes. The thought lingered the whole day (and even weeks).
This is the first lesson I had since I moved to Thailand -- excitement is not happiness.
"Humans have better wings than birds: Human mind is a perfect wing and with this wing we can fly to some farthermost places no bird can ever dream! Yes, mind is a wing; and when it comes to flying man is the most sophisticated bird on earth!"
One of my favourite (and visually poetic) sightings during the Ayutthaya trip -- the black bird on the headless Buddha.
"Our true nature is the nature of no birth and no death. Only when we touch our true nature can we transcend the fear of non-being, the fear of annihilation." - Thích Nhất Hạnh
"We awaken by asking the right questions. We awaken when we see knowledge being spread that goes against our own personal experiences. We awaken when we see popular opinion being wrong but accepted as being right, and what is right being pushed as being wrong. We awaken by seeking answers in corners that are not popular. And we awaken by turning on the light inside when everything outside feels dark."
Thank you Ayutthaya for making me experience some of the most spiritually transcendent moments of my life.
