No matter the regret, fear, or life troubles I may face, facing upwards to the sky and taking in that view, as the leaves connect to the heavens, all seems to make sense.
Roaming the streets, even the kora, one is faced with tremendous suffering all around, the enormous gap of wealth and comfort is presented in exorbitant fashion unlike anywhere else in the world. I remember clearly Karmapa saying that a true spiritual place, one that has real power, should attract all walks of life, and all forms of life. That’s how you know it’s real. From the beggars walking on their hands, faces strewn with grief and toil, to the uber well off, making donations far surpassing anything the beggars will see in their entire lifetime, and everything in between.
This is a testament to the power of Bodh Gaya. This doesn’t mean all is glorious and well under the tree, far from it - our concepts and samsaric desires follow us at all times. They are even exacerbated here, shown under a magnifying glass should anyone be willing to look. While anything seems possible, we also see the entire spectrum of life highlighted under a huge neon light, all crevasses and corners lit, shadows carved and bare.
During an interview a while back, Karmapa spoke about zooming in and out. Microscopic, and telescopic views of our lives and emotions. I am often feeling like the world only truly makes sense when I am following His Holiness- my purpose, energy and mood are privileged and wholesomely bound to my activity. The rest feels flat, lifeless and seemingly without purpose. As a long time sufferer of bipolar, anxiety and addiction I always struggled to see past the moment in front of me, dictated by it, enveloped by it. But zooming out enough, I can see clearly that any peak or valley I may experience shows up as nothing more than a flat line amongst the rest. My feelings, be them positive or negative, amount to life, my mind, simply as that. Dizzying highs and lows become mountains and valleys, rolling hills smooth to mere bumps and wiggles, subtle waves and then... flat. I find this teaching incredible. Training in this kind of mental attitude, seeing my current state of mind as nothing more than a small blip on the wave of life, means I don’t need to indulge in it, let it control me now and in the future.
Under the tree tremendous joy and incalculable suffering abound, my spiritual feelings awaken deep connections to the Dharma and all seems well- I have purpose. But it doesn’t stay here. I have this connection anywhere I am, in anything I am doing. I have purpose always. My best and worse of times amount to me. And me is enough. From extreme comfort to dizzying suffering, life is nothing but subtle peaks and valleys fading gently to a soft and ever flowing flat line. You just have to zoom out enough, and be willing to take a closer look.
