silence in BodhGaya

I was in Bodh Gaya only from Dec. 14 - 17th and yet it had such a profound impact on me. Perhaps because I spent most of my time there at a buddhist meditation course in silence. Or that I didn't leave the compounds of Root Institute for 3 days except a couple of hours on the first and last afternoons. I'm not quite sure... I think it's probably more of the former. I've never had to be quiet in one stretch for so long in my life, not that I can recall anyway. And this was only for 3 days! Can you imagine what I'd become had I signed up for the 10 day vippasana meditation course, which I had been contemplating?

Being silent brings a sense of peacefulness I don't think I've ever experienced. Never having to speak. What?! Now, not being allowed to speak at home or in school is one thing...but when one is out in the "free world" and after 2.5 months of meeting awesome people through India, yakking one's heart away, this was quite the aftermath of a crescendo to my time in India, Varanasi being the height of a crazy time. From the constant life/death in Varanasi to the quietude in Bodh Gaya... I ended up not really able to socialize much when I returned to Penang just a little over 2 weeks ago! Therein, the oxymoron. Magi =/ unsociable.

I haven't even started about sitting in lotus pose, in hour long meditations 3 - 4 times each day. My legs on the first day had that tingling, numbing sensation that almost felt like they were going to break into pieces. And yes, I was most certainly nodding off that first afternoon's meditation, having just arrived in Bodh Gaya early in the morning after catching the 5:45am train from Varanasi. I persevered and was never so happy to be done with my day that day, passing out at around 9:30pm!

On the second day of the course, I was able to put in some yoga time, on the roof top of the dorm! At that point, and even to some degree, till now, I was feeling the aftermath of Usha's classes in my hamstrings...I must've torn some muscle fascia! Anyway...I'm very happy to have participated in the retreat, though I don't know if I would go back to Root Institute. It was a bit overly westernized for my taste, where all the food served largely catered to the western pallette. BUT. It was a great space to be in. The temple is beautiful and the grounds very well kept. The rooms, bathrooms etc. were all super clean. It was just so unlike much of what I'd experienced in India thus far...

Outside of Root, I loved witnessing the masses of monks at the Mahabodhi Temple. They had come from all over the world for a 10-day Tibetan festival graced by the Dalai Lama and more were on the way! Next, a night train to Kolkata! Shhhhhh!