Dr Laxmicharan had been moving around with an injured leg. He had hurt his right leg through a traffic accident several months ago. The wound had not fully healed. The walking and movement did cause discomfort to him. The activities in the day had exhausted him. Judiciously, he wanted to lie down and rest a bit. He is a loving brother and a sincere company. It was noble of him to escort me in spite of the handicap. Wounds take time to heal in tropical weather. More trouble comes through infection.
We had quick supper and we were ready for the train. We had been somewhat familiar with the train travel. Wait for the train, find the right compartment, ride and occupy the seat, stretch for a few hours until the destination is reached. The train we would take is appropriately named the Mahabodhi Express. Gaya is known for the Bodhi tree under which the Buddha was supposed to receive "enlightenment". Naming objects in India using themes is an old tradition. By adding a name, we associate a personality to the object. It develops a character through its conduct. Unknown to us, Mahabodhi Express was known to be "late" as a "routine." We were told that the train would show up at an hour's delay which apparently had been the pattern. It could be associated with the repairs of the tracks or slowing down on the old bridges. The train originated from Delhi. It was a new train with well appointed coaches. We were led to our seats. We left Allahabad about midnight. The analysis of the state of life after death has been enigmatic in Indian belief system. For many reasons, one can conceptualize that the death cannot be a closure. One might have unfinished work, there could be debt to pay, one might have unfulfilled ambitions, or one might have simply wished to live longer. Each of these and many others should have an avenue to close in order to create the cessation of life's activities. Human beings are composed of body and mind. The body might wither out, but the mind could continue to remain active bothered by the worldly anxieties. So is the Hindu belief. Taking such ideas as clues, the philosophers in old India hypothesized a "psychic body" which might operate in parallel with the "physical body". The "physical death" may occur to the "physical body", but the "psychic body" may wander around in order to continue to fulfill its desires and ambitions. Having no sense organs, the psychic body is not capable of any sense enjoyment. It is likely that the "psychic body" continues to feel aggrieved. Hence the idea that ritual process should be attempted to "liberate" the "psychic body" from the assumed grief. This thought was conceived several thousand years ago. It has taken hold on Hindu belief system. Gaya has been considered to be a sacred location where such "liberation" could be made possible. By doing a sacrificial rite in Gaya in the name of the deceased, one invites the "psychic body" to arrive at the sacrifice. By virtue of their "arrival", they get "liberated" because of the sacredness of the location. Various mythological stories have been created aiming to validate such a theory. The legendary Sita in the Ramayana story did conduct sacrificial rites for her long deceased father-in-law at Gaya. The locals in Gaya narrate such stories to enhance the importance of the rituals and the town. Once delayed, the train gets delayed through the rest of the journey. Traffic builds up because of the limited number of tracks. We reached Gaya about 8 AM in the morning, delayed by three hours. We had obtained a note of reference from Allahabad monastery for the sister monastery of Sarva Sevasangha Ashrama located at Gaya. They even had an office in the proximity of the Railway station. By negotiating there, we arranged transportation to the monastery lodge. We met the resident monk and his staff at the monastery. Gaya events are more ritualistic. The pilgrims started early in the morning. We were late for the day's schedule and could join in the next day. The next day was the calendar date of my birthday. I was making internal connections for such coincidence lumping the connection to the travel delay In a larger sense, the birth day and date have little significance. All moments in time are equally good. In the learned Indian cosmology, time is an artifact. Its flow is a perception from a local frame of reference. The monk went over with us explaining the intricacies of the rituals and the associated corruption. He made us aware of the oppressive demands of the priests. He let us know that there would be attempts of exploitation. I felt pity to hear of the degradation of a noble profession. He did pacify our anxiety by stating that the monastery recruited priest agents who could get the task easier. He said we must convene by 6 AM next day. We had a bit time to relax and cool down. We tried to improvise our tour and did some planning. We decided to leave for Bodhgaya after lunch that day and return late after the evening lights were up. We would complete the rituals the next day morning and leave town after lunch. We would be proceeding to Patna, the capital of the State. We would visit places of historical interest on our way. This would include the Pawapur shrine of the Jains and the Nalanda University of the Buddhists. Dr. Laxmicharan was knowledgeable about the roads and the locations. He was our guide. We managed to take a bath using the available cold water. We dressed light for the hot day. Then we took a walk around on the pebbled trails in the monastery and appreciated the vegetable and the flower gardens. The place is an oasis for pilgrims from all around the country who arrive to perform the sacrificial rites. The staff is understanding and experienced. They are used to see distressed faces laden in anxiety every day. Lunch at Gaya monastery was different, The vegetable was more watery, the rice was coarser.There was stricter accounting of entry possibly because of larger volume. The serving staff appeared little tired and mechanical. It looked as though the operations were outsourced. All service eventually terminates into a business transactions. Volume reduces intimacy.
Bodhgaya was a half hour taxi ride from the city. The monastery had its own vehicles for hire. We rented one and were on our way.
