A Piece of Kanheri Caves

When I saw the Dhamma Hall

Inside the Caves, carved out of the hardest rocks

My heart melted

And my head bowed down to touch the ground

Out of respect for the strongest hands

That carved the rocks and built the wonder.

But when I laid my hands and forehead on the rocky ground,

I became one with the Sangha

One among thousands of monks and nuns who had lived and left this world.

I felt my bald head, my bare body wrapped in saffron robes,

My bare feet, and an amusing calmness on my face.

I smiled as if I was surrounded by the angels, singing birds, and dancing flowers.

I held a bowl and chanted “bhiksham dehi” with the calmness of the moon and the smile of a flower.

In front of me were Mahāpajāpatī Gautamī, Nagarvadhu Amrapali, and Patachara

Following me were my sisters.

We walked past the mango groves, pine forests, streams, to towns and caves

In the distant caves were Ananda, Sāriputta, Moggallāna, and Angulimala

Teaching dhamma under the shade of giant trees.

The Buddha was in his eternal posture: legs crossed, hands resting on his lap, eyes half-closed, with a faint smile.

Then I heard the murmur and chatter

My friends were chatting and clicking pictures

My eyes welled up, and I felt as if I had awakened from a dream.

Like I was just born again.

An image appeared before me

S.N. Goenka, in his white kurta pajama, with his wife by his side, was telling the stories of the Buddha

It was on a big screen on a wall, and an old Guruba was operating the video.

Before me was a row of female sadhikas sitting just like the Buddha in his eternal posture

And in front of us was an old Guruma sitting similarly on an elevated seat, meditating deeply or sleeping unknowingly

On either side of me and behind me were hundreds of sadhikas and sadhaks.

I was at Dhamma Shringa Vipassana Meditation Centre

And it was January 2025.

I was awakened again when somebody called out

“Let’s go, it’s too hot here.”

I slowly got up and followed my friends outside

It was a scorching hot day outside the rocky caves

The “eye of heaven” was shining too hot

The black rocks on the ground were burning too hot

I picked up a small black rock and hid it inside my pocket

I knew I had stolen

I had committed bad karma

Yet, I couldn’t leave it back there

I brought it home across the holy waters of the Ganga and the Bagmati

Placed it in the hands of the tiny Buddha statue my sister had once gifted me.

I’m a thief. I’m a seeker.

View this post on Instagram