They're celebrating Buddha's birthday today... Apparently also the day he became enlightened some 40 years after his birth...
Or it was 9th of this month.
Who's counting this stuff? Was there a man back then who told his son, and he then to his son, "look boy, I don't care what you do with your life -- but make sure you remember the 9th full moon of the year we celebrate the birth of Gautam Buddha."
They say the full moon is quite spiritual though. Apparently most people who got enlightened, got enlightened during a full moon night. Ever since I learnt that I became so in love with the moon... And once you fall in love with the moon you immediately fall in love with the sun that reflects on it. Then the sun is a star, so you then love all his cousins. And before you know it, you're humping the universe.
OK, I couldn't resist!
I meant falling in 'love' with those surroundings.
And see, Australia is good that way. I can see the moon and the stars at night. Dubai - I could barely see a few. Even the Gods seem to be doing favours in Dubai.
I've aligned my bed with my room window. And I sleep with my curtain rolled up at night. On a full moon night, it's just the most beautiful thing. In fact, it happened only a few days ago -- and it was probably on GB's birthday... The moon is in that perfect alignment with my bedroom window-view recently -- I think it's stay in that range for a little over a month.
But, basically, I wokeup in the middle of the night to use the bathroom. I was half asleep, but by the time I got back to bed I was quarter asleep. And my room was just lit. And it was such a beautiful soft and cool white light - but yet so bright. And I slept right under it. And I looked up at the sky from my window -- partly cloudy night... And the universe was there, just between two clouds.
... And for a few seconds... I died.
Or rather, for those few seconds, the universe was born.
But then sleep snuck in and that's when everything went off.
The problem now is that I sleep every night starring at the sky, hoping for the exact same taste... But nothing.
This is all because of an audio-book I've been hearing lately... The secret of the golden flower. It's over now, and I guess I now 'know' the secrets of Tao. But knowing and realising is so different. One is about applying given principles to life, and the other is about living in a way that principles are formed.
Buddha died some 2,500 years ago... All we have now, are 'principles'...
Our life is constantly an attempt to re-live the past... Old days at school, old TV shows, back when I was 4, "back in my good days"... For the average Buddhist monk it might be to become just like Gautam... and for me it seems to be trying to taste that full-moon night once again.
And oh the stupidity of this life --- Tao rhymes with now...
ps- I've disabled comments for this post, so, don't spend time seeking.
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