Place where Budda lives...

[Amigo]

I've been having a lot of shit in my mind, so I went to the temple to cool down and think things through.

At the temple, I saw a bell.



So I rang it, and as I was ringing it, I felt someone tapping on my shoulder.
I turned to look, and it was Budda.

He asked,
"Why don't you hit the bell harder?"

and I replied,
"Coz hitting it harder doesn't sound very nice. I think a bell sounds nicer if I hit it softly."

And he asked,
"So you know how to ring a bell?"

And I said,
"Not really, but I'm just trying to make it sound as nice as possible."

And he said,
"This is how to ring a bell properly.
The proper way to ring a bell is to ring it three times, each with certain thoughts.
First, you think of me, and ring the bell.
Second, you think of my teaching, and ring the bell.
And third, you think of all the good peopel in the world, and ring the bell.
This is the way."

So I repeated after him.
"First, Budda, second, the teachings, and third, the good people. Correct?"

And Budda said,
"Correct. You have good memory. Now fuck off."

And Budda disappeared.

I was left dazed, unable to believe what just happened.
I could not think fast enough, I could not process what went on.

Within a space of less than five minutes, I was given a lesson, which might just be the lesson that saves my life.

I had to keep it. I had to make it mine. I could not let it disappear into thin air, like the sound of the bell.

So I sat next to the bell, and thought.

I thought about Budda. What is Budda?
And after I had an answer, I rang the bell.
Gong~~~

And I thought about his teaching. What was he teaching?
And after I got an answer, I rang the bell.
Gong~~~~~~

And lastly I thought about the good people in the world. What is good?
And after I got an answer, I rang the bell.
Gong~~~~~~~~~

It felt as if the waves were spreading like a tsunami, reaching all corners of the world. He said if you ring the bell correctly, EVERYONE on the planet will hear it. At the moment you strike the bell, instantaneously our minds will unite, and for a brief moment that is either never or forever, we share our thoughts and reconnect to where we all originated from.



It was an amazing experience, to say the least...
Of course the Budda wasn't really Budda but him in a form of a taxi driver. Would you have believed it? A taxi driver...



The real story is, I was ringing the bell, and a taxi driver came and told me how Thais ring the bell... that you ring it three times, and each with a certain thought, and he said they were,

1. Budda
2. Teaching
3. The good people.

I don't know where else in the world, would you be approached by a taxi driver and be given a good lesson in Buddism.

But here I am... in Thailand... the place where Budda lives.

[marshlander]

I love your photographic stories and adventures mile:

[princealbertofb]

Au commencement était le verbe... even the Bible says it all started with sound: the word.

[Amigo]

Thanks, guys...

I thought the Bible said it started with light? You know, the famous line,

'Let there be light'?

[marshlander]

Depends which book of the Bible you read. In Genesis God created the heaven and the earth before he got round to doing the light thing. While John says, "In the beginning was the word."

Love that thrilling moment in Haydn's Creation where the choir sing "And there was light!"

[princealbertofb]

Thanks, guys...

I thought the Bible said it started with light? You know, the famous line,

'Let there be light'?

I could only remember those first words: In the beginning was the word. But I didn't check on which book of the Bible it was from. Now Marshlander has put us right.

I told your bell story to a friend today. She found it interesting. mile:

[Amigo]

Depends which book of the Bible you read. In Genesis God created the heaven and the earth before he got round to doing the light thing. While John says, "In the beginning was the word."

Love that thrilling moment in Haydn's Creation where the choir sing "And there was light!"

I would think light should come before heaven and earth thing...

[Amigo]

I could only remember those first words: In the beginning was the word. But I didn't check on which book of the Bible it was from. Now Marshlander has put us right.

I told your bell story to a friend today. She found it interesting. mile:

I remember, the Bible starts by saying,

"In the beginning..."

I liked the Book of Genesis very much. I still read it when I have the chance, like, when I'm stranded in some hotel... they have Bibles in the drawers. Not all hotels but some do. I think the Gideons did it. (I may be wrong.)

Your friend... what did she find interesting?

[fjp999]

[COLOR="Purple"]I too love your stories/photographs.

Very new but classic and always calming.

I especially like photographs that find that view that is just a bit different.

Thanks for the continuing adventure [/COLOR]

[peterinmalaga]

You live in a beautiful country Amigo. Thanks for sharing.