Stupa, Wutaishan (Photo: M. Griffiths)
A story in 6 parts.
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Read Journey to the North (Part 1) - Dust here.
Journey to the North
Part 2
Gold
In
the late afternoon their weary legs dragged Tian and Master Shi to the top of a
low ridge. In the distance, glowing white in the sun, was the tall Tibetan
style stupa of the Tayuan temple in the centre of the valley, nestled among the
five peaks. They had reached Wutaishan, one of the four holy Buddhist mountains
of China.
They walked
down into the small town in the valley and found a residence for visiting monks.
Master Shi, at the insistence of the abbot of a nearby temple, reluctantly agreed
to rest while Tian went out to fetch food from a monastery dining hall.
Tian
carried their bowls in small bag over his shoulder. He wandered across a paved
courtyard and then began to cross an arched stone bridge that spanned a stream.
A shadow fell across the worn cobble stones in front of him. He looked up and
saw a nun walking towards him. She was young, perhaps still a novice like him, and
wore long grey robes buttoned down the front with knotted cloth buttons. On her
feet she wore brown cloth shoes. Her shaved head was like a ripe peach, her
ears small and delicate. But it was not that that held his attention. It was
her smile. Her red lips curled up at each end, framing her small, even, white
teeth. It was a vision that reminded him of Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy, herself.
“Good
evening brother.” Novice Dai nodded to him, hands pressed together in front of
her.
Tian stared,
his mouth hung open in slack silence. Then with great effort, he blinked. Her
eyes sparkled with amusement.
“I
see you are dusty from your travels. Have you come far?”
He
closed his mouth and nodded. His face blushed crimson. He raised his hands in
front of his chest, palms together, then
raised them to his forehead. “My apologies sister.” he stammered, bowing
his head. “I am not used to talking to...” He raised his eyes to hers then
lowered them again, and fixed his gaze on her mouth. “I mean my master and I
have been on the road for many days. We were caught in a dust storm”
“Have
you eaten?” she asked.
“I am
fetching food now for my master. He is resting. I fear the travel is not good
for his health. I hope he will agree to stay here and recover before we begin
our journey home.” He blushed again. “Forgive me for talking so much. I...” he spluttered.
“Not
at all.” She smiled again. “The monk’s dining hall is that way,” she turned and
pointed. “I hope your master’s health improves soon.”
“Thank
you sister.” He bowed deeply.
He
watched in silence as she crossed the bridge and walked turned toward a cluster
of buildings in the distance. His heart pounded in his chest and his head felt
light. He gazed at her retreating back until she disappeared out of sight through
a large gate. He grasped his prayer beads and chanted all the way to the dining
hall, but could not dispel the floating sensation that suffused his previously tired
limbs, or the smile that brightened his face. Master Shi was right. One could see
many wondrous things sights while traveling. Perhaps he should not be in such a
hurry to go home after all.
That
night Tian dreamed again. The same farm, stone house, crops in the fields. This
time he also became aware of himself. He was a grown up. This was not a dream
from his childhood as his monk teachers suggested. He was an adult and he felt
sure this time the house was his; his home, his own farm. He heard the woman
singing and was spellbound by the sound. But yet again he could not see the
source of the voice.
He
awoke early, restless to find what eluded him in sleep. In the morning Master
Shi did not stir for morning prayers. When Tian brought him breakfast his
appetite was meagre. Tian’s concern turned to agitation. He left him resting and
sought out someone to help him find a doctor. When he returned Master Shi began
to tell him about the golden Buddha in south China. Of course Tian already knew
of the Donglin Temple, for it was there that the Pure Land sect had originated
nearly 3000 years before, in the year 386 in the old time calendar.
The
golden Buddha was famous in all the six kingdoms as the biggest bronze Buddha
in China, a 48-metre tall statue of Amitabha, gilded with many kilograms of
pure gold. It was constructed in the time of the Red Dynasty, with donations
from many thousands of people, including the wealthy from the drowned cities of
Hong Kong and Shanghai. Their generosity had not saved their cities from the
sea but Tian hoped it had brought them closer to the Pure Land. Some considered
it karma, but Tian’s tutors had warned him not to take pleasure at the
misfortune of others. At the very least the old times provided a lot of examples
from all around the world of how ignorance, greed and a lack of compassion can
result in severe consequences.
The
donations may not have prevented them suffering the consequences of
environmental destruction and economic and social disruption, but the result,
his master enthused, was a sight to behold. “I have never been there but I
believe the Golden Buddha is the most wondrous thing in the world.”
Tian
wondered why Master Shi was telling him about this now. He tried to quiet him
and asked him to rest until the doctor came but he insisted on describing it in
great detail until the doctor arrived. A senior medical monk and an assistant
entered their small room and asked him some questions. The monk took Master
Shi’s pulses and made notes in a note book. They talked briefly to Master Shi
then left. Tian tried to judge from their words and expressions how serious it
was but they both remained encouraging but vague. Tian accompanied them back to
the doctor’s dispensary and waited until the medicine was ready. He carried
back a pungent brew and slowly spooned it into his master’s mouth. Master Shi
screwed up his face at the bitter taste but determinedly took it all. Then he
settled back on his bed and closed his eyes.
Tian
sat with him for a time until he seemed to drift off to sleep, then he left the
monk’s hostel and visited a nearby temple to light incense and pray for Master
Shi’s recovery. He returned briefly to see that Master Shi was still sleeping
and so ventured out again. He looked to the west and the small town that served
the valley and its many pilgrims, and then to the east. His is eyes beheld the hill
nearby and followed the stone steps leading up to the ancient temple at the top.
There were one thousand and eighty of them, ten times the sacred number of beads
of his rosary, one hundred and eight.
He
walked to the base of the hill and began to climb. His enjoyed the feel of his
legs pushing against the stones and his breath becoming faster and deeper. Up
ahead of him he glimpsed a familiar grey robed figure. He sped up and came
alongside her.
Dai
stopped and turned. “Good morning brother.” She bowed slightly and smiled.
Tian bowed low. He
felt his face flush again and fought to control his laboured breathing. “Good morning
sister.” He looked up at her again and his face broke into a broad grin. “I am
pleased to see you. I wanted to thank for your assistance yesterday."
He looked
up the hill. “Perhaps we can climb together?” She
nodded, hiding a small smile.
****
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