Suddenly Gotama's relics were on top of my head

[hagar]

Yesterday, I strolled around my hometown Oslo enjoying the first day of spring.

At a local Tai Chi center, the relics of many realized Buddhist masters and lamas happened to be on display, so I found myself taking a peek.

 

 

As I entered the crowded room where the exhibition was, I was filled with this eerie sense of wonder. Between the relics of Nagarjuna and Milarepa, a version of the heart sutra was on display. I felt tear in my eyes as I read the text, sensing how the remnants of these men embodied what was behind those words.

 

"There is no ignorance,

and no end to ignorance.

There is no old age and death,

and no end to old age and death.

There is no suffering, no cause of suffering,

no end to suffering, no path to follow.

There is no attainment of wisdom,

and no wisdom to attain."

 

I found myself suddenly infront of a nun who placed the relics of Gotama Buddha on top of my skull. I bowed, felt my headache vanish, and left.

 

Outside, spring was still spring, and around a corner, just infront of a poster of the Buddha, there were three people putting in the afternoons dose of heroin.

 

h

Edited April 11, 2011 by hagar

[C T]

Quite surreal indeed, Hagar. You must have accrued some merit to witness these exhibits, including bumping into the 3 High-end users!!

 

The Dalai Lama will be giving a public address in the university here http://www2.ul.ie/web/WWW/events/Dalai_Lama in a couple of days, entitled "The Power of Forgiveness", while a couple of days ago, police up north, about 300 miles away, secured a van which was abandoned on the motorway - apparently inside it they found a 500 lb bomb destined for the destruction of a nearby urban area. http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/van-on-newry-motorway-contained-500lb-bomb-15140394.html

 

Just another parallel, surreal moment in time...

[Trunk]

_/\_

[三江源]

[manitou]

 

I found myself suddenly infront of a nun who placed the relics of Gotama Buddha on top of my skull. I bowed, felt my headache vanish, and left.

 

Outside, spring was still spring, and around a corner, just infront of a poster of the Buddha, there were three people putting in the afternoons dose of heroin.

 

h

 

 

It's all good.

 

Thanks for sharing that wonderful experience.

[minkus]

Hey Hagar, i visited the relics in Amsterdam when they where there and understand what you mean.

 

Had the luck there where only a few people so spend whole day in the room meditating, reading and observing the relics.

 

Really powerfull experience. Very intense. I recommend everyone to go see them when they are in your area.

 

Regards, M

[hagar]

[adept]

I wasn't so enthusiastic about my visit to the relic tour.

[Simple_Jack]

Yesterday, I strolled around my hometown Oslo enjoying the first day of spring.

At a local Tai Chi center, the relics of many realized Buddhist masters and lamas happened to be on display, so I found myself taking a peek.

 

 

As I entered the crowded room where the exhibition was, I was filled with this eerie sense of wonder. Between the relics of Nagarjuna and Milarepa, a version of the heart sutra was on display. I felt tear in my eyes as I read the text, sensing how the remnants of these men embodied what was behind those words.

 

"There is no ignorance,

and no end to ignorance.

There is no old age and death,

and no end to old age and death.

There is no suffering, no cause of suffering,

no end to suffering, no path to follow.

There is no attainment of wisdom,

and no wisdom to attain."

 

I found myself suddenly infront of a nun who placed the relics of Gotama Buddha on top of my skull. I bowed, felt my headache vanish, and left.

 

Outside, spring was still spring, and around a corner, just infront of a poster of the Buddha, there were three people putting in the afternoons dose of heroin.

 

h

 

Wow, I never knew there was such an event going around. Thank you for posting this. I would definitely check it out if it came to my area.

 

Also commenting on the three users: LOLZ....ahhh, life...ain't it something?

[KoolAid900]

Wonderful!!!

 

I have seen this relic tour 3 times and will never miss it now... I had no expectation going there at all, i don't usually like art, haha, which is what is what i expected...

Undesrcibeable experience... weird, because there is no essence to it, just a really positive effect being there.

 

My mala was blessed by the buddha's relics last time... since then random people have been asking me where I got it, haha. It's like they can see the positivity and want to buy it

[hagar]

I wasn't so enthusiastic about my visit to the relic tour.

 

Know what you mean. When writing "eerie", that what was what I was referring to.

My experience was definately inspite of the atmosphere, which was bordering to kitch.

The event, like any other ritualized, spiritual event in the west, gathers a lot of strange birds. And for some reason, very skinny, pale men. And there was definately a sene of Bertolt Brecht-ish lack of resolution in being surrounded by druggies and hookers around the block. But you cannot process this stuff with the discursive mind. It will ruin it, like when you drag a friend to a movie you like, that keeps talking during the whole thing.

 

The essence of what was permeating the room was something alltogether different though.

 

h

[hagar]

Wonderful!!!

 

I have seen this relic tour 3 times and will never miss it now... I had no expectation going there at all, i don't usually like art, haha, which is what is what i expected...

Undesrcibeable experience... weird, because there is no essence to it, just a really positive effect being there.

 

My mala was blessed by the buddha's relics last time... since then random people have been asking me where I got it, haha. It's like they can see the positivity and want to buy it

 

Lucky you =).

 

Agree to what you say about no essence.

It really ha nothing to do with the human side of things.

 

Unfortunately I didn't bring anything but my headache.

 

h

[minkus]

In Amsterdam there where only 5 people in the room including the monk blessing the people (and a hyperactive dog who fell asleep after the blessing lol). I understand that if the room is crowded all people trying to have a look its a very different athmosphere.

 

It was kitch and colorfull but that was soon forgotten, all i remember was the vibe of the relics My heart gets filled with joy yust by thinking of it again. The essence permeating the room was pure and intense compassion.

 

You could feel the energy wich these buddah's, karmapas and arhats have cultivated during there entire life, if not more. A unique experience yes

[exorcist_1699]

 

 

..... Between the relics of Nagarjuna and Milarepa, a version of the heart sutra was on display. I felt tear in my eyes as I read the text, sensing how the remnants of these men embodied what was behind those words.

 

"There is no ignorance,

and no end to ignorance.

There is no old age and death,

and no end to old age and death.

There is no suffering, no cause of suffering,

no end to suffering, no path to follow.

There is no attainment of wisdom,

and no wisdom to attain."

 

.........

 

"Heart Sutra" and "Diamond Sutra" are always my favorites in Buddhist classics ; how simple and straight a way they are in explaining Buddhist essence !! And, the more times I read them , the more I am convinced that Zen is the best system which inherits the marrow of Buddhist legacy .

 

Such a great spirit, degenerating and disappearing after Buddha's death in several-century time in India, shifted to China and mixed with another great system , Taoism .

Edited April 13, 2011 by exorcist_1699

[rain]

thanks again hagar for posting something that strikes chords..something to work with on various reflections

 

-"regret not bringing my son" reminds me of the moved & satisfied response my son had today remembering how he when visiting the Domkirkeodden at Hamar..after being encouraged by his mom got caught while making a massive sympony dangling those the huge bells.

 

Also remember meeting Arne Ness senior at Henie Onstad Art Museum, shortly before he passed away, I was so silently thrilled to see the old man that he broke off from his two younger comapnions to embrace the energy I emitted.

 

 

Ahh.

Pale. pale indeed. so very well observed.

 

Ahh and another malorrightplaced apropos;

 

the " when something really good or auspicious happens somewhere, something equally inauspicious also happens. Funny how that works." comment

 

Is this something one must make room for in ones life ? and learn to adapt to? I am asking because I seem to be whipped by some invisible force

to balance my expectations and reflections.

Edited April 13, 2011 by rain

[hagar]

In Amsterdam there where only 5 people in the room including the monk blessing the people (and a hyperactive dog who fell asleep after the blessing lol). I understand that if the room is crowded all people trying to have a look its a very different athmosphere.

 

It was kitch and colorfull but that was soon forgotten, all i remember was the vibe of the relics My heart gets filled with joy yust by thinking of it again. The essence permeating the room was pure and intense compassion.

 

You could feel the energy wich these buddah's, karmapas and arhats have cultivated during there entire life, if not more. A unique experience yes

 

I agree, that the vibe, though insubstantial and subtle, was what stuck with me. Intense, and affecting the heart. I could see people around me getting the same reaction as myself. Norwegians tend to keep their emotions hidden, so it was a great thaw.

 

"Heart Sutra" and "Diamond Sutra" are always my favorites in Buddhist classics ; how simple and straight a way they are in explaining Buddhist essence !! And, the more times I read them , the more I am convinced that Zen is the best system which inherits the marrow of Buddhist legacy .

 

Such a great spirit, degenerating and disappearing after Buddha's death in several-century time in India, shifted to China and mixed with another great system , Taoism .

I remember the first time I read the Heart sutra it completely blew me away. Seldom to read such profound insight condensed into such a text.

 

thanks again hagar for posting something that strikes chords..something to work with on various reflections

 

-"regret not bringing my son" reminds me of the moved & satisfied response my son had today remembering how he when visiting the Domkirkeodden at Hamar..after being encouraged by his mom got caught while making a massive sympony dangling those the huge bells.

 

Also remember meeting Arne Ness senior at Henie Onstad Art Museum, shortly before he passed away, I was so silently thrilled to see the old man that he broke off from his two younger comapnions to embrace the energy I emitted.

 

 

Ahh.

Pale. pale indeed. so very well observed.

 

Ahh and another malorrightplaced apropos;

 

the " when something really good or auspicious happens somewhere, something equally inauspicious also happens. Funny how that works." comment

 

Is this something one must make room for in ones life ? and learn to adapt to? I am asking because I seem to be whipped by some invisible force

to balance my expectations and reflections.

 

Great story about your son! Arne was pretty tapped in, mixed in with slight dementia, and you get an eccentric for sure. He's quite misunderstood in my academic circles too.

 

As for your question: I only call them as I see them. If we think we have gotten it, we lose it. To quote Shunryui Suzuki; A good father is not a good father. Even in the spiritual life, every experience is a potential dead end. St. John of the Cross said it best: "Even when you come to the possession of the All, you must posess it without wanting anything".

 

h

 

h