Vaishali – ALL I NEED IS MY PASSPORT

Lesser known and out of the way Buddhist sites.

Vaishali

Dec 142018

November 21 and 22, 2018

Kasaria

Kesaria is a Buddhist stupa first constructed around the 3rd century BCE. The stupa has a circumference of almost 400 feet making it the largest stupa in the world, it then rises to a height of about 104 feet.

The stupa was not discovered until 1958 during an excavation led by archaeologist KK Muhammed, Regional Director of the Archaeological Survey of India.

It is thought that the original stupa probably dates to the time of Ashoka (circa 250 BCE), as the remains of the capital of an Ashokan Pillar was also discovered at the site.

A group photo in front of the stupa

It is thought the stupa was built to honor the site where Lord Buddha must have spent the last days of his journey while preparing to attain Nirvana.

Despite being a popular tourist attraction, Kesariya is yet to be developed and a large part of the stupa still remaines covered in vegetation

Despite being a popular tourist attraction, Kesariya is yet to be developed and a large part of the stupa still remains covered in vegetation.

As per legends, the Buddha left Vaishali for Kushinagar in the last year of His life. As he walked, the people of Vaishali, a clan called the Licchivis, joined him, then they refused to let him go on his way alone. It is said that here, Buddha gave the Licchivis his begging bowl. The stupa is therefore said to have been built by the Licchivis to venerate the end life of Lord Buddha. At first, it was a mud stupa and the present brick structure is believed to date back to somewhere between 200 AD and 750 AD.

The location of the begging bowl is still a question. Despite many people thinking that it is here, the written diaries of Xuanzang say it is not. However, where it actually is conjecture. It is said to be in Afghanistan, but…

A large number of statues add to its beauty. Unfortunately, some parts of the statues have not survived the passage of the time and the turbulent events that hit the region in the past, primarily the attacks led by various invading Muslim rulers in the Middle Ages, and now are in a ruinous state.

A large number of statues sit in niches around the stupa. Unfortunately, some parts of the statues have not survived the passage of the time or the attacks led by various invading Muslim rulers in the Middle Ages.

Around parts of the stupa modern bricks have been placed to protect the original bricks of the stupa from falling away. As you can see by the photograph they do not go all the way around.

The government is beginning to take care of this site, and excavation of the wooded area is scheduled for 2019. They have built a fence around the property and manning it with guards like this man and his amazing mustache.

Rajapinda
Asura
Jethian Valley, Bihar

Known today as Rajapinda its historic name is Asura.

Xuanzang (602 – 664) a Chinese Buddhist monk, scholar, traveler, and translator who traveled to India in the seventh century described in his travel diaries a large cave on the hill where the Buddha had discourse with Asura. An asura in Buddhism is a demigod or titan of the Kāmadhātu, (desire realm). They are described as having three heads with three faces each and either four or six arms.

The cave sits in the Jethian Valley where King Bimbisara of Magadha received the Buddha after the Buddha’s enlightenment.

Bimbisara (c. 558 – c. 491 BCE) is known for his cultural achievements and was a great friend and protector of the Buddha. Bimbisar, according to Xuanzang, also built the city of Rajgir (others attribute the city’s foundation to his successor).

The cave was first identified by Sir Aurel Stein in 1902 (Dates vary). Stein was a Hungarian-born British archaeologist, primarily known for his explorations and archaeological discoveries in Central Asia.

His collection of books and manuscripts are important for the study of the history of Central Asia and the art and literature of Buddhism.

According to the Bihar State Educational Infrastructure Development Corporation

“In 1899, Sir Auriel (sic) Stein identified the Rajapinda Cave on the eastern hill with Asura’s Cave. Sir Stein reported a 6 to 12 feet wide road around 500 meters long leading to the cave as mentioned by Venerable Xuanzang. Sir Stein also mentioned in his report a big stone platform and a massive wall (measuring 16 ft wide and 18ft high) leading to the 25 ft high by 20 ft wide by 91 ft deep cave (AsuraCave).”

The climb up is not easy, there is no park service in India making the trails safe

The view down to the valley though is stunning, sadly the pollution of India keeps the view from being clear.

Shrines dot the interior, brought by Buddhist followers

Someone has even planted a Buddhist Flag on the side of the mountain

Three monks accompanied us on our journey and chanted when we arrived

This is such a remote location and visitors so rare that small crowds began to collect.

These boys gathered at the top of the mountain we gave them the food we had left over from our lunch and then Deepak taught them “Buddham Sharanam Gachchami” which means “I take refuge in Buddha”. It is a chant you hear emanating from Buddhist Temples everywhere.

When we got back down to the bottom of the mountain even more villagers had gathered to wonder about us.

This little girl stole my heart with her smile, which I had to work hard to coax out of her.

Cyclopean Wall

The Cyclopean Wall, while not a Buddhist site per se would have stood during his time.

The name comes from the Greek Cyclopes, the mythical man who had the strength to move builders up hills to build the walls of Mycenae and Tyrins. Greece is the only place in the world that still has an existing Cyclopean Wall, and for this reason, the state of Bihar is trying to get the wall declared a World Heritage Site.

The wall was built of massive undressed stones, of quartzite and phyllite slabs, and without mortar. The remains of the Cyclopean wall suggests that it was around 25 miles long and encircled Rajgir. It was built to provide protection to the ancient settlement. It dates back to the pre-Mauryan era, before 3rd century BCE.

There are many sites that do not show up on the regular Buddhist trails. I have had the pleasure of getting to know Deepak Anand, who is making it his life’s mission to raise awareness of these sites and to preserve them. He has a long road ahead of him.

Deepak Anand

Two Protests, Toilets and Tuk Tuks

India, Vaishali

Nov 222018

Vaishali, India
November 18-20 2018

I am in Vaishali as part of the 2nd Annual Tipitaka Chanting Ceremony. If you are interested in that you can read about last years ceremony here. This is another adventure.

Shrawan Kumar is an Indian politicians from Janata Dal (United). He is currently the Minister of Rural Development and Parliamentary Affairs in the Bihar Cabinet under Nitish Kumar

Shrawan Kumar is a politician from the Indian political party Janata Dal. He is currently the Minister of Rural Development and Parliamentary Affairs in the Cabinet of the State of Bihar.

Today I came across two protests. The first was about rural water and politics. The protesters were very polite, in that, even though the blocked the roads, they let people pass. They also never shouted during the Tipitaka opening ceremony, only when the minister left his car and then returned to his car.

From what I understood, the protest was against the fact that there was no longer water in a very famous pool in Vaishali. It is felt that much of the region’s dollars are going to promote tourism surrounding the Relic Stupa and nothing is being done to preserve the coronation tank, Abhishek Pushkarini.

The pool in question, Abhishek Pushkarini,

The sacred waters of the coronation tank Abhishek Pushkarini once anointed ancient Vaishali Rulers.

The Abhishek Pushkarini in a historical painting in a monastery in Vaishali

Toilets

These two little girls are running back to the ceremony after having used the bushes for a toilet. The boys used the same bushes but stood out in the open peeing on them. Since watching men empty their bladders along the side of the road is so common I assume the boys have absolutely no modesty regarding their actions.

The use of the trees is far superior to the use of a public toilet in India. I was given a packet of wipes the first day, that smelled of roses. Not roses, but that rose smell that you find in the air freshener aisle of an un-airconditioned truck stop in the middle of the desert. I prefer it to the smells of Indian public toilets.

In 2014 President Modi began the Clean India programme, known locally as the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan mission, the reason is that India accounts for more than half of the world’s 1.1 billion people who routinely relieve themselves in fields, beaches, and other open spaces. 65% of rural India defecates in the open, a population larger than that of the United States.

So-called open defecation contaminates food and drinking water, and spreads diarrheal diseases that cause chronic malnutrition and childhood stunting – a burden the World Bank estimated costs India 6.4 percent of its gross domestic product. One in every ten deaths in India is blamed on open defecation.

While this program looks great on campaign posters it does not seem to be working, however, the program has certainly helped the building trades. Suppliers of sanitaryware and tiles sales are predicted to grow about 11 percent annually through 2022

The problem is, you still have to get the people to use toilets.

According to an article in the Washington Post:

BEED, India — The patrols started at dawn, and the villagers scattered, abandoning their pails of water to avoid humiliation and fines.

Every morning in this district in rural India, teams of government employees and volunteer “motivators” roam villages to publicly shame those who relieve themselves in the open. The “good-morning squads” are part of what one official called “the largest behavioral-change program anywhere in the world.”

The reason for much of this public defecation is the lack of toilets in households. The government has vowed to install 111 million, yes one hundred and eleven million, toilets by the end of 2019.

I was told by some Indians, that, yes they are installing them, but they are not hooked up to any plumbing, all I can say is, yes that sounds like India.

There are many questions as to why this is a problem, and why have the Indians not started to use pits or compostable toilets. Here is an excellent YouTube video to help answer some of your questions I have not addressed.

The Gates Foundation has also gotten involved in the problem with $350 composting toilets that use worms.

Tuk Tuks

This was the second protest I encountered in one day. Yes, those are tires burning in the streets, as though the air in India isn’t toxic enough.

This protest was due to a Tuk Tuk that had killed a small boy. In India, when the people in villages want to get the attention of the government they block a major road and wait until an official shows up to negotiate what they want. In this case, money for the family.

All of this got me thinking about Tuk Tuks and their drivers, as that particular driver must have been as poor as the family of the child he killed, and insurance would have been non-existent.

It is easy to find information about Tuk Tuks, or auto-rickshaws as they are called by the government, for big cities, I was unable to find figures for rural areas. In Mumbai, there were 118,477 auto-rickshaws in March of 2011. In Mumbai the stated license fee in 100 rupees, about $1.50 US.

According to a government report: Most permit-holders hold onto their permits or pass them down through the family. Because of this, it is difficult and expensive for newcomers to get into the auto-rickshaw business. Although it is illegal to use a permit that is not under your name, many drivers lease permits from permit-holders for a period of 5 to 10 years. Alternately, drivers pay daily rent to permit-holders, which driver surveys found could be up to Rs. 300 ($4.17) with an average of approximately Rs 160 ($2.22) daily.

I then tried to determine what a Tuk Tuk driver makes. I found this on Quora

“My elder brother owns one. His auto works on both shift each shift driver pays him 250 which means each day he earns 2 × 250 = 500. ($6.95) And Monthly he earns around 15000 ($208). 3000 to 4000 ($55) goes in maintenance and 5000 is paid as EMI (Equated Monthly Installment). Hence with an investment of just 150000 ($2100), one can earn 7000 to 8000 ($112) monthly which is far better than real estate. (the answer was dated 2016).”

I asked a local in Bodhgaya what the average driver makes and he said around $20US a day.

There are two types of auto rickshaws in India. In older versions, the engines were below the driver’s seat, while in newer versions engines are in the rear. They normally run on gasoline, CNG, or diesel.

While Tuk Tuks are found all over the world, Bajaj Auto of Pune, India is the world’s largest auto rickshaw manufacturer.

An interesting note about the strike. We left our car and walked through the protest to the other side. We had an important meeting to get to and it was another 4 kilometers down the road. We decided to grab a Tuk Tuk. Several passed us shaking their head vehemently NO. I assumed they were on a sort of strike, but I was told that in fact, they were frightened about being beaten up and were fleeing the scene as quickly as possible. We eventually found a driver, who made a handsome fare that night.

The following day we headed out of Vaisali for Bodhgaya. All traffic was stopped due to a horrible car accident. We sat for four hours waiting for officials to come and handle the situation. Apparently, in these small villages, the police do not come for fear for their lives. Politicians come and work out who is guilty right on the spot. What a system.

We were told to not get off the bus, we were not part of the village and it was not safe. There was nothing to do but watch the world go by, especially this little truck with two horses packed in with all the cargo and a passenger.

India truly is a world unto its own.

Vaishali, India

India, Vaishali

Nov 222017

November 2017

Stupa that once held Buddha’s remains.

The relics were removed from the very center of the stupa by archaeologists in the 1800s. These are considered to be actual remains of the Buddha. The remains are housed in an understated room in the Patna Museum.

Vaishali is on the pilgrimage route for Buddhists for many reasons, but the two most important are that Vishali received part of Buddha’s remains and therefore there was a stupa here.

The other important reason is the fact that Buddha’s stepmother was the first Buddhist nun, and she was granted that right in Vaishali.

The term for a nun is Bikkhuni, and I have mentioned before that this, like most religions in the world, is a bit chauvinistic.

The nuns are usually left in the background, and I have often seen them serve the monks food before they will eat themselves.

However, I was standing with one of our Burmese monks and he ran into a classmate nun from college, and he treated her with the utmost respect, kindness and seemed genuinely happy to see her.

Jayden is a member of the Thai temple in Vaishali. Once a year he becomes a monk for a week. He has become my buddy, and I really enjoy his company.

The nuns carry fans, this is a holdover from a long-ago tradition. When a monk or nun gives a Dharma talk they should hold a fan in front of their face, this is a statement of “no ego”. The nuns are the only group that continues this tradition, and I have found it is mainly the Thai nuns that do. The nuns tend to be considerably more serious in their devotion, however, they are absolutely the first to smile, and say hello.

All the children from the schools attended the first day of chanting.

Vaishali is truly a one-horse town, and yet there are three large tour buses in front of our hotel. They seem to roll in around 8:00 at night and are gone by noon the next day. Buddha pilgrimage tours is a bigger business than one would think, and most I have seen have a lot of nuns and or monks with them. Vaishali is in Bihar, the poorest state in India, and it is sad to see the vendors lined up along the route to the stupa and yet no more than 100 or 200 people come a day, it is a real tough way to make a living.

Ananda’s stupa and an Ashoka pillar that is not an Ashoka Pillar

The last day of chanting was supposed to be followed by a Dharmayatra, or a walk in the footsteps of Buddha through the holy sites. The head monk must have forgotten because he talked for almost three hours, as we all watched the sun begin to set.

He stopped and a few of the monks and I literally ran to the bus climbed on and asked the driver to take us to Ananda’s stupa.

As we are watching the sun go down we confront the perfect Indian bureaucrat. He insists on seeing our passports because each country gets charged a different amount. Now seriously, where does he expect the monks to keep their passports in their robes? As I ran back to the bus to get mine, Javana solved all the problems with his negotiating skills and we all got in.

It was such a touching moment for me. Despite these being Buddhists, they really know nothing about the sites, why they are visiting or the history of the area.

I have touched on this before, that monks tend to sequester themselves in monasteries and learn the minutest detail about the Sutras, but lack the basic knowledge of the big world around them.

I began to talk about what we were looking at and Javana had everyone gather round as I lectured. I was so touched, because they really had no idea, and yet they asked questions and laughed hysterically at my descriptions. It is hard to sit all day and chant, then get on a bus, drive 1 or 2 kilometers and look at another stupa and explain that at one time this entire area was one monastery. Now it is farmland with mud huts and the sense of scale and the grandeur is lost in cow patties and fenced fields.

Despite being very, very kind to the nuns, the discussion on the bus was the fact that the last Buddhist council deemed nuns could not be on the same rug as monks during chanting ceremonies.

Javana even gathered some of the nuns, and they asked for the books I was reading and how they could learn more.

I tried to explain how I was so excited to be where millions of people had walked over 3000’s of years and the quality of discourse that must have taken place at this place in Buddha’s time. In that time this was a great kingdom, with considerable wealth. These are just not concepts I could get across, but I did sort of pass on how I felt so small in this world when you think of the great people that went before you. This did penetrate and started some interesting side conversations.

It was also interesting to discuss the fact that this pillar is now not necessarily considered to be an Ashokan pillar. It is thought that it preceded Ashoka, and may have even been the seed for Ashoka’s pillars. There is a considerable discourse on the subject, way too complicated to get into when there is such a massive language barrier, but I could show them how this is the only pillar with a square, rather than round, abacus.

The other thing we were looking at was Ananda’s stupa. Ananda was Buddha’s best friend and lifelong companion/helper. The monks had absolutely no idea that Ananda was buried in that stupa, it was quite the light bulb moment for all of them.

They began to ask me about “stories” and whether or not I believed that Buddha’s body parts were in certain places. My answer was simply to say that until I have a time machine and can go witness these events myself, I only can listen to the stories and say I can never say for certain what is the truth. I got a Burmese word in response that I think is something like okay, okay, okay, which was, I think, their way of saying, clever answer.

These are the moments that make this entire trip worth it. I learn so much from the monks and nuns but am always fascinated as to their rather small worlds.

The Patna Museum was founded in 1917 and its building was constructed in the Mughal style in 1928. The collection is so very sad, not only in its lack of substance but in its complete and utter lack of care and upkeep.

It goes without saying that trash is a serious problem. Bottled water is prolific, and so are the empty containers

I asked these two boys to collect the trash on the lawn, which is on their right. They did a lovely job, and promptly threw it all in the bushes on the other side of the walkway.

I asked these two boys to collect the trash on the lawn. They did a lovely job, and promptly threw it all in the bushes on the other side of the walkway.

There are about three major blocks to Vaishali, this is the area outside of the stupa, the three blocks all look like this.

In many of the stops we feed the children of the area. There are often hundreds of them.

On our way out of Vaishali we were treated to lunch at the home of the Speaker of the Senate for the State of Bihar Sri Udea Chadri

On our way out of Vaishali, we were treated to lunch at the home of the Speaker of the Senate for the State of Bihar Vijay Kumar Choudhary. He is a very noble man with very lofty goals for the voiceless.

These pastries were the hit of the day in Patna. They are essentially fried philo dough drenched in honey syrup. The monks couldn't get enough, and neither could I.

These pastries were the hit of the day in Patna. They are essentially fried phyllo dough drenched in honey syrup. The monks couldn’t get enough, and neither could I.

Goat Transport

I can’t resist the cows that are everywhere in the countryside.

This wraps up the first part of this pilgrimage. We return to Bodh Gaya to begin preparation for the next ceremony. The monks are happy to return home to their own beds and food they can stomach, I agree, the food has been repetitive and boring, but I still have a long way to go to get good food. For now, I will be happy with hot water and internet.