Varanasi
The heat. It sucks the life out of you. It is merciless.
We are here on the holiest day of the holiest festival (loosely, Hindu Christmas). Today’s itinerary includes Deer Park, where Buddha gave his first talk.
I seem to be a magnet for children who peddle small souvenirs. They are relentless and won’t take no for an answer. I get offered, ‘rare’ antiquities, statues, carved soapstone, post cards, toys, beads and jewelry.
The stares of the beggars haunt me. They come in all shapes and sizes…polio victims, amputees, rail thin women with tin cups and a thousand children smiling with outstretched hands. Every movement to and from the jitney thrusts us into a crowd of hands and pleading faces..-
It takes real effort to remember that they are individuals and ,merit individual attention.. Forgetting their humanity is the easiest response to the unquenchable need.
And still, I don’t buy.
Deer Park is a sprawling ruin covering maybe 15 acres. It looks like an aging brickyard. (Turns out that brick is the backbone of India.) The legend is that Buddha first unveiled his four Noble Truths to five friends here. The place is now a government sponsored archaeological dig.
We Visit the Central Tibetan Institute for Advanced Studies (CTIAS). There, we meet Annan who is certain to grow in importance as the trip progresses. Annan runs the multimedia project at CTIAS. He shows <–Previous – Next–>
