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Travelogues
A Western Pilgrim in India – 4
The Bo Tree on the western side of the Mahabodhi stupa.
The 'elephant fence' was originally erected by Nagarjuna.
 Khenchen Palden explained: 'This is the Indestructible Center. All things are impermanent, but here in Bodhgaya, in spite of all the changes, this Great Stupa has remained.'
The origins of the Mahabodhi temple/stupa are mythical. In 260 BC, King Asoka had built a small structure to commemorate the site. Later, it is said that the sons of a
Brahmin family who lived in the area were arguing over who was supreme among all beings. Their mother finally suggested that instead of arguing, they would be better served by making a pilgrimage to Mount Kailasa and asking Mahadeva himself for the answer. So they made their way up into the hills, following the Ganga to its headwaters. There they met Mahadeva and put the question to him. Lord Shiva smiled, and gazing off into the sky, exhaled a cloud of blue smoke and gently said, "The Buddha is the teacher of the triple world. If you wish to plant a superior root of merit, then seek a superior field. The Bodhi tree is the place for attaining the fruit of a Buddha." He turned and looked directly at the boys, raised an eyebrow and instructed them to return there and build a large monastery.
Not far from the stupa lived a very old woman who had actually been alive during the lifetime of the Buddha and had listened to him teach. She heard quite a bit about the marvelous and lifelike statue that was being created for the main hall of the Mahabodhi temple. Before it was installed and consecrated, she stopped by and took a peek, to see how accurate it was. Knowing that she had actually been in the Buddha's presence, the monks let her look. She was basically pleased, but indicated that there were some real differences. Concerned, the monks gathered closer to hear what she might say. "For example," she began, "the Buddha would speak the teachings in a clear voice and gesture gracefully, while this one, although very beautiful, is completely silent and sits without moving at all...."
In 1202, the Arabian Khilji and his troops destroyed the shrine at Bodhgaya. By the end of the century, all the monasteries were gone. For the next six centuries there were virtually no Buddhists in the area. Near the end of the sixteenth century, devotees of Shiva resettled around the ruins and the Muslim government supposedly granted the site to them. In the middle of the nineteenth century a group of Burmese Buddhists came to restore the main shrine. With help from the Government of India, this work was finished in 1880. As Buddhists began to move back in, the Mahant took steps to insure that the site would remain Hindu. The Buddha image in the Mahabodhi Temple was transformed into a Hindu deity. A small Saivite sanctuary was constructed immediately east of the main shrine, and temple images were removed from their original niches to be placed within it. An Englishman named Sir Edwin Arnold happened to pass through and upon seeing this, began appealing to the British Government to transfer care of the site to the Buddhists. They never did. For over fifty years, there was an ongoing dispute between Buddhists and the Saivite Mahant. India became independent in 1945 and officially recognized Bodhgaya as a Buddhist holy site in 1949. Even today, the presence of the Brahmins in the Mahabodhi compound can provide the unsuspecting tourist with a rather awkward experience.
Leaving the market on the main street, one moves through throngs of beggars lining the walkway into the main compound. At the far end there is a concrete shed where you can leave your shoes and take a number. Entering the eastern gates one walks down stairs facing the monument to Great Awakening. At this point, I was
traveling alone, without the Khenpos or anyone in the group. I spent hours each day walking around the stupa, on the
circumambulation routes. A Tibetan in robes who had seen me go by a number of times one morning made of point of stopping, and getting my attention. "It is good you are here," he began, in perfect English. "The Mahabodhi stupa is a very important place and there are many beautiful things to see in India. But while you are here, you should try to get some teachings. So many westerners come and end up being ordinary tourists while there are very precious opportunities to hear the Dharma taught by great masters, such as His Holiness the Dalai Lama." He proceeded to tell me about upcoming teachings in Dharmsala with 'good translators.'
I appreciated his concern and told him so.
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Continued Page 5
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