Homage to all Dharma gates taught by
Shakyamuni
and to all authentic lineages of
transmission.
Homage to Amida
Buddha
whose Name is praised by all
Buddhas.
It all started with a short conversation with myself.
Buddhism has accustomed me to make quick decisions, so in about
three minutes I contemplated in my mind: "I want to visit the stupa
at Tranișu, but will I get along with the people there? What kind
of Buddhists are they? How do they view the Dharma? Will I like
them or will they like me?" Then I answered to myself: "None of
these matters. A stupa is a stupa and it's very good that it
exists. I have to get there. Those who worked on that stupa did
something extraordinary and deserve my respect.” As I completed
this reasoning, I spontaneously visualized the stupa enveloped in
light, which gave me confidence that my decision to visit it was
correct and that the place was auspicious. Then I said to myself:
"I will go there on
foot"[1].
And I went….. I went with faith and with the decision
embedded deep in my mind and body that I had no other choice but go
to the stupa. I walked chanting the Name of Amida Buddha (Namo
Amida Bu), often making the eight kinds of offerings on behalf of
all human and non-human beings in the places I passed through,
including those who had died on that road, praying for them in
various ways, including having all obstacles disappear from them,
to have faith in Amida Buddha, say His Name, and be born in His
Pure Land. The road was dotted with many memorial crosses,
reminding me that death can come at any time, regardless of age.
The overwhelming feeling of death and being lost in a wasteland of
noise made me pray to Amida Buddha for every dead person on that
road, both those who perished in accidents and the animals whose
corpses emanated bad smell from the ditches.
The national road E60, full of heavy-duty trucks and constant
noise, seemed to me a restless
bardo[2],
having nothing of the pleasant descriptions of some nature trips.
No lyrical nuance, but raw and wild samsara, unforgiving to the
careless that was always reminded by the narrow space I had to
walk, a meter away from speeding heavy-duty trucks and other big
cars. One wrong step, one slight carelessness on my part and I
could be hooked or hit at any time with no chance of survival.
Sometimes, when the space got even narrower, I had to walk through
the ditch near the road, and other times I held on to the outside
of the metal railing and walked carefully along the one-step-wide
section next to it. Sometimes this railing reached my chest, as can
be seen in one of the photos.
I certainly couldn't have done this trip in such conditions
except by myself, because that was the only way I could be focused
and careful where I placed my foot. My mind and body functioned in
complete unity, making simple and quick decisions when faced with a
difficult passage or a dangerous situation, observing but letting
any natural fear of injury and death pass through me. I accepted
that anything could happen at any time, especially when I was
caught between the concrete wall of a high hill and the heavy-duty
trucks or cars coming around the bend a meter away from me. I
pressed myself as close to the wall as I could, taking one step
before the other, a Nembutsu, then more steps, more Nembutsu…. My
mind was working on survival mode, based on the decision that I had
no other option but to keep going, that somewhere, on the left or
right side of the road, or through the ditch, there must be another
little inch that I could use. I never had the impulse to go back,
but only to push forward, no matter what. I had no other choice but
to continue. This idea of having no other choice became an
important topic of my contemplations. The pilgrimage, with all its
dangers and hardships, was not an effort of will. The fact that I
follow the Buddha's Way is not an effort of will. It's all due to
the deep awareness that I have no other choice. When the doctor
tells you "if you don't quit smoking, you'll die", you'll end up
quitting not out of an effort of will, but because you've realized
that you have no other choice. It is the same with the Nembutsu
Path or whatever Buddhist method (Dharma Gate) you choose to
follow. You have to follow the Buddha's Way because you have no
other choice. Because if you don't follow it, you will fall again
and again into the lower
realms[3] and
lose the rare chance of being born in a human body.
“I take refuge in Amida Buddha, my unfailing and constant
protector!
This precious human birth is
difficult to obtain.
My body and my so
called "spiritual achievements" are impermanent and cannot be
trusted.
Virtuous and non-virtuous actions
bring their inevitable results,
and the
influence of past habitual karma makes it impossible to attain
Buddhahood in this life.
The six planes of
existence are an ocean of suffering and escape is impossible by
relying on self power.
Recognizing this, may
my mind always turn towards Amida
Dharma.”[4]
During the very rare and brief time of a few seconds when no
cars would pass and everything would suddenly become quiet, I would
think about the illusory nature of the samsaric turmoil that so
easily engulfs us and makes us believe that there is nothing else
except it. Although I only perceived it for a few seconds, it
seemed that stillness had always been there, unaffected by the
noise, the commotion, our projections, thoughts and plans, beyond
the pain of the blisters on my feet. I was resting amazed in that
original silence and the Name of Buddha Amida appeared
spontaneously on my lips. I reached a point where I did not
identify with the noise, did not fight it, but let it come and go,
pass through me and melt of its own accord into that natural
stillness, and I focused on the Nembutsu and walking, careful not
to do a wrong step. It seemed to me thatnatural calmness and
quietude, perceived in those few seconds of grace, was the only
reality, and that the cars and heavy-duty trucks represented
thoughts, sensations, problems of all kinds which, like ephemeral
appearances, could be allowed to come and pass by
themselves.
Among other things I let go were the tendency to react to
insults and the fear for dangerous people I might encounter. I
talked to anyone who talked to me, I shook hands with anyone who
shook my hand, from stray dogs and cats to drunkards and criminals.
I was told that a drunkard referred to me as "an angel walking down
the street" and even said he saw an angel on the road. Of course
there is nothing angelic about me, so the man either perceived an
enlightened protector accompanying me on the way, or the sacredness
of the shaved head and Buddhist robes which themselves have a
beneficial effect on the viewer, which is one of the reasons I
choose to wear them. Referring to the monks of the Last Dharma Age,
Shakyamuni Buddha said in the Great Collection
Sutra[5]:
“If, because of the Dharma that I teach, sentient beings
shave their hair and beard and don monk’s robes, though they may
not observe the precepts, they all bear the seal of Nirvana
already. These people indicate the way to Nirvana to various people
and heavenly beings. These people are already within the Three
Treasures, have given rise to faith and respect in their minds, and
surpass the ninety-five kinds of non-Buddhist path. These people
will invariably enter Nirvana quickly. They excel all laymen and
secular people, with the exception of the householders who have
attained
endurance[6].
For this reason, heavenly beings and humans should venerate them,
even if they break the
precepts."[7]
At one point, someone introduced me to a gentleman dressed in
old-fashioned clothes: "look, this man is the boss of all the
mafias in the area" (a neighborhood in a city on the route). I
answered amused, "he is Don Padrino". They both laughed and said
"yes, Don Padrino". Then I added: "I don't care who the people I
meet on this pilgrimage are because I don't judge anybody, but pray
for everyone." They received these words with respect and asked me
if I needed anything for the journey. I refused as I already had my
monk’s bowl full of food.
Speaking of food, I must mention the lady owner of the
Kalotaszeg Vendégház guesthouse in Izvoru Crișului where I slept
one night after the first 35 km of the trip. On leaving the next
day she offered me some sweets, nuts, bread and a very good
homemade vegetable stew. I recited Nembutsu and prayed for her. I
am adding to this article some photos of her and her guesthouse,
asking all of you who pass through Izvoru Crișului to choose to
stay at her place. Here you have the link to the Kalotaszeg
Vendégház guest
house,
https://www.booking.com/hotel/ro/kalotaszeg-vendeghaz-korosfo-izvoru-crisului.ro.html
I have not for a moment considered that I am making this
pilgrimage for myself personally, as I have nothing to prove and no
merit to gain, my birth in the Pure Land having already been
assured by Amida Buddha from the first moment I said His Name in
faith. As we say in our tradition whenever we finish a religious
service - may the infinite merits of Amida Buddha be received by
all beings! Due to the merits of Amida Buddha and His Power, due to
His protection and the protection of all Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and
various Dharmapalas, I was able to complete this pilgrimage. Before
starting the trip, a yellow rain code had been announced in the
very area where I was going. I told myself then that nothing would
stop me and .... what a miracle! - it didn't rain at all! I’m sure
this is due to the protection of the Buddhas and the benevolence of
the local deities.
It was very good that it did not rain because if it rained, the
chances of slipping and accident increased even more. Speaking of
risks, I don't recommend anyone to do what I did. Never again will
I walk like that on a national road, a meter away from the
heavy-duty trucks, but this time I was in a hurry and I didn't know
any other route. I took risks that I normally wouldn't have taken,
but I had no choice. To reach the stupa in this short time, not
knowing any other route, the national road was the only option.
Another time, if I come to Tranișu on foot, I will choose a
different route even if it will be longer.
Drolkar
Veronica informed me that a Buddhist monk in Bhutan did a
protection practice for me related to Mahakala. She told me this a
short time before I had spontaneously thought of Mahakala who is
also one of the Enlightened Protectors of Amidaji temple and
greeted Him with Nembutsu. Shinran's writings are full of
references to the protection of all Buddhas, and in the 17th Vow,
Amida himself speaks of all Buddhas praising His Name, thus
encouraging us to say it in faith. This is why at Amidaji we have
representations of various Buddhas beside the main shrine dedicated
to Amida. White Mahakala and Black Mahakala are also present there
and I like to greet them with Nembutsu from time to time. Likewise,
on the road, while thinking to the protection offered by Amida and
all Buddhas, the image of Mahakala came spontaneously to my mind,
only to learn from Drolkar that one actually does a Mahakala
practice for my protection.
The very center that
takes care of this stupa is called White Mahakala and even the big
dog you see me with when I approach the stupa was named Mahakala by
a Buddhist nun who visited those places.
Once, when I was reciting alone in front of the stupa, I
heard footsteps behind me and woke up with the dog Mahakala on my
back. He hugged me and sat next to me as I continued my
recitations. His fur - black and white, automatically made me think
of both aspects of the same Mahakala – the White Mahakala and the
Black Mahakala. To my religious mind this was another auspicious
sign, among many others on the way. I always felt that I was being
protected and guided, that all I had to do was go forward, pay
attention to the road and say Nembutsu, and the rest was already
taken care of for me.
I hope that other Buddhists or even non-Buddhists will visit
this stupa and that many other stupas and Buddha statues will
appear in this country to help beings make connections with Amida,
all Buddhas and all genuine lineages of transmission. I sincerely
believe that in this dark age when no one is able to attain
Enlightenment through one’s own power and even very few have faith
in Amida Buddha and benefit from the unconditional salvation
offered by His Primal Vow, it is good to have various statues and
stupas to inspire beings to devotion. Any connections with Amida or
other Buddhas, with stupas and mantras associated with them,
prevent rebirth in the lower realms of existence and lead, sooner
or later, to Amida. We ourselves, who now have faith in Amida
Buddha and are in the stage of non-retrogression for birth in His
Pure Land, have been guided by various Buddhas to Amida because we
have made offerings to them, had devotion to them, and practiced
their mantras and dharanis with sincerity.
Although the various Buddhas in the Buddhist pantheon have
their own mantras and practices associated with them, they all aim
to point us ultimately to Amida, because Amida’s method of saying
His Name in faith answers perfectly to the purpose of all Buddhas’s
coming to this
world[8] —to
lead all beings as quickly as possible, regardless of their
abilities, to the attainment of
Buddhahood[9].
Shinran
Shonin[10] said
about the Primal Vow of Amida Buddha that it is
„the consummation of Mahayana
Buddhism"[11],
and „the consummate teaching among consummate
teachings, the sudden teaching among sudden
teachings."[12]
Even if Vajrayana may claim that its method is the
quickest[13],
it can never say that it can bring all sentient beings to
Buddhahood, no matter their spiritual capacities. Thus, there is
actually no Dharma Gate and no Buddhist vehicle which is so
accessible to all beings like the Primal Vow, whose essence is the
Nembutsu of faith:
"Although the various Dharma gates all lead to
liberation,
None of them surpasses birth in
the Western Land
through the
Nembutsu."[14]
This is why I encourage those
who follow other Dharma Gates and even non-Buddhists to visit a
stupa and bow before it or before the various images of Buddhas and
Bodhisattvas - because any homage to a sacred Buddhist object
associated with various Buddhas and their mantras (a stupa contains
many mantras) will inevitably lead, in this life or in a future
life, to faith in Amida Buddha, because any Buddha will guide us in
a visible or subtle way to Amida:
"Sakyamuni and all the other Buddhas
Are truly our compassionate father and
mother.
With various compassionate means
they lead us to awaken Supreme shinjin (faith
in Amida) that is true and
real."[15]
„Shinjin
(faith in Amida) is bestowed through the compassionate means of
Sakyamuni, Amida, and all the Buddhas in the ten
quarters.”[16]
It is therefore not contrary to the teaching of Jodo Shinshu
and the exclusive faith in Amida Buddha, for followers of our
school to visit other temples, statues of various Buddhas or
stupas, if their purpose is identical to the one presented
above.
The reason why throughout the entire pilgrimage and there in
front of the stupa I recited exclusively the Name of Amida Buddha,
is that this Name actually contains the merits of all Dharma
practices[17]
as well as the merits of all Buddhas and Enlightened
Bodhisattvas[18].
So, a disciple of Amida is at the same time a disciple of all the
Buddhas[19],
and by uttering the Name of Amida it is as if we are practicing all
Buddhist practices, reciting all mantras and praising all
Buddhas:
"When we take refuge in the Pure Land of
Amida,
We take refuge in all the
Buddhas.
To praise the one Buddha, Amida,
with the mind that is single
Is to praise
all the Unhindered Ones (all
Buddhas)".[20]
Not all beings have in the present life an affinity with
Amida Buddha and His Name, but it is good that they are kept within
the Buddhist Dharma, encouraged to follow one of the many Dharma
Gates, and above all to show respect and reverence to the stupas
and the images of various Buddhas. In this way, as I said, they
will not fall into the lower realms of samsaric
existence[21],
begin new connections or strengthen the connections they already
have with various Buddhas, and be guided, in various ways, by the
Power of the Buddhas, to Amida and perfect
Enlightenment.
It is also good to show respect to those who built stupas and
sacred images, thus making them available to the beings of this
dark age. For example, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, who approved the
construction of this stupa in Romania, contributed to the
construction of many similar sacred objects in several countries.
This is why, to show my respect to him and to the people who built
this stupa was also another reason I made that long way on
foot.
The Stupa from Tranișu was the final point of this
pilgrimage, but it was not the only purpose of my journey. I want
to do walking Nembutsus all over the country and beyond, to give
humans and non-human beings in various places the opportunity to
receive teachings, hear the Name of Amida Buddha, and make some
small connection with Him. I want to be like the Amida-hijiri of
the past who wandered through medieval Japan, reciting the Name of
Amida Buddha and helping all beings connect with Him.
The end of the pilgrimage found me in a hotel room paid for
by Drolkar on my return from the stupa, where to my pleasant
surprise, there was a picture of the Buddha right above the bed!
The best sign that the pilgrimage was well done.
May Amida Dharma and all Dharma Gates, along with all the
genuine lineages of transmission be permanently established in this
land so that every being here can practice according to his
personal karmic affinities and may all, without exception, attain
perfect Enlightenment as soon as possible!.
Namo Amida Bu
More photos from the trip:
|
books donated by me before the pilgrimage
to White Mahakala Buddhist center |
|
With Kalden Marius, representative of
White Mahakala Buddhist center |
|
at the White Mahakala Tibetan Buddhist Center
before the pilgrimage |
|
at the White Mahakala Tibetan Buddhist Center
before the pilgrimage |
|
In Huedin city - people asked me
if I need food |
|
| In Huedin city with Romulus and his nephew |
|
| With Romulus from Huedin city |
|
at Kalotaszeg Vendégház guesthouse
from
Izvoru Crișului |
|
at Kalotaszeg Vendégház guesthouse
from
Izvoru Crișului |
|
with the lady owner at Kalotaszeg Vendégház
guesthouse
from
Izvoru Crișului |
|
two police officers who were very protective with me,
giving me a phone number where I could call anytime
if I had any problems |
|
eating on the road - falafel and turkish baklava
offered by Drolkhar Veronica |
|
between Bologa village and Tranisu
village. From Bologa I escaped the
National Road and the trip became
more pleasant |
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