100 Things to Do Before Turning 30!

Lotus in the Puddle

Cheerful truck decorations, deafening combination of Hindu chanting and clucking sounds. Cold wind coming through the windows, opened with every road bump. I was trying to remember what brought me there. Was it my increasing interest in Buddhism? Or the e-mail I received months ago with detailed specifications on the trip?

The driver seemed to be in some kind of trance, chewing a smokeless tobacco and expectorating the unwanted juices; twenty-eight hours straight of no sleep, driving without obeying speed limits or showing any consideration for either passengers or pedestrians. I should have guessed the combination of these causes would end up in an accident.

We woke up after a strong full stop. People were trying to get out of the bus, but the door was stuck. When we finally got out, we realized the magnitude of the accident. The front wheels moved a few meters back, and there was gasoline all over the pavement. However, thanks to our Western-tourist lack of trust, we had our bags with us at all times. So we didn’t need to look for our stuff among the endless pile of luggage that was tied with ropes over the bus. By “we” I mean the only four tourists (a Canadian, a Colombian and Mexicans) amidst Tibetans, Indians and Nepalese who did not speak a word of English. We took the next bus to our so yearned destination.

The alarms started ringing at four A.M., and I could barely keep my eyes open. Started the day by putting extra layers of clothing. And walked towards the Great Stupa of the Mahabodhi Vihara. Considered to be one of the holiest places for Buddhists from all over the globe.
Inside this temple in Bodhgaya, India, is the Bodhi tree, under which Shakyamuni Buddha attained enlightenment 2,500 years ago; where hundreds of thousands Buddhists of different traditions gathered for the Monlam (which means “wish-path” – a path of helping others through kind prayers, and aspirations for a better world).

So there I am on the last weeks of December. Sensing the smell of incense, hearing the chantings and prayers, feeling the cold in my cheeks, tasting the bread and tea that old Nepalese ladies give carelessly, together with the big smiles drawn in their beautiful wrinkly faces. Enjoying the moment.

The journey is the sum of the pleasant and the unpleasant. Some say that to get to your goals you have to overcome the obstacles that appear on the way. For me, the journey is the goal. And when you realize this, everything becomes special.