Where and when my Spiritual Journey Began.

 

On my way home a few days ago I decided to make a stop at the old Mahindarama Buddhist temple, located on Kampar Road. It is one of the oldest Sri Lankan, Hinayana or Theravadin Buddhist Temple in the country. This temple is of a very close sentimental connection to my past as it is the Temple where my grandfather had a hand in managing the setting up and paintings of the interior. He was commissioned to do the job and was sent here to Georgetown specifically for the purpose. Although much of the exterior of the temple complex has vastly changed to modern day concretized version, I can still visualize the old temple setting of the 50-60 and seventies when I used to visit it every weekend as a student. 

I must have been about two or three years of age when i spent my time at the temple until I was able to learn the Pali Canon, the language of Theravada Buddhism, a language that was said to have been taught by the Buddha when he spread the teachings of Buddhism in the Southern parts of India instead of the old Sanskrit language of the north. As a child I can still remember the temple atmosphere and the young monks from Sri Lanka who adopted me as their pet student as i was the grandson of their favorite artist in residence. #mahindarama, #buddhist, #temple

Mahindarama Buddhist Temple (Sinhala: මහින්දාරාම බෞද්ධ පන්සල, Chinese: 玛兴达拉麻佛寺) is a Theravada Buddhist temple within George Town in the Malaysian state of Penang. The only Sri Lankan temple in the state, it is also one of the select few in Malaysia that houses the relics of the Buddha. The temple becomes a focal point for the annual Vesak Day festivities within the city.  #vesakday, #georgetown, #srilankan

I would sit facing the reclining Buddha while listening to the talks given by the Bhikkhu and one name that stuck in my mind from those childhood days was Gunaratna Mahathero, born 5th.April 1891 and deceased 19th. Jan 1964. He was a very kind and compassionate old monk who knew the circumstances of my childhood growing up among Muslims while raised as a Buddhist. He must have felt the perilous path I was on even as a child walking between Islam and Buddhism. If one ask any Muslim adult if they are comfortable sitting in a Buddhist temple the answer would be a definite no, the smell of insence would be enough to drive them out, the Buddha statue are idols much against the Islamic faith. I was spared of the fear of these images as they were the creations of my grandfather's handiwork as far as I was concern. 

One of my concern even as a child was the food they offered at the temple as I felt even back then that i should not eat pork or even chicken. I was then told by one of the monks not to worry as they were all strictly vegetarian. Today I have no qualms nor fell ill at ease upon entering any house of worship of any denomination albeit Mosque, Churches,  Hindu temples or Gurdwara; I find the Divine in all of them. #recliningbuddha, #gunaratna

Once I was comfortable with visiting the temple on the weekends for my classes I looked forward to the bicycle rides from my home in Sungai Pinang, Kampung Selut, to Counter Hall the area where the temple is located used to be called. In doing so I would have to pass in front of the legendary Malay actor, P.Ramli's house and later down the road my parent's home; I was adopted and raised separate from my immediate family. Again, the Devil is in the details especially this part of my life. However I am positive I have written it all down once or twice in this lengthy Blog. #sungaipnang, #kampung, #selut, #malay

As I am prone to looking back to the past much to the detrimental of my mental health I see now how my formative years spent in juggling between two diversely opposite religious faith at a very young age has contributed much to who I have become mentally and spiritually. If I had not been contemplating and writing it all down for mor than twenty five years now, as my journal keeping did not began with this blogging but with my sketch book journals that started way before the Internet came into being. I never really thought of it as any form of psychological healing process, but simply because I enjoy writing and telling my stories for what it is worth. Now it has become more than just a hobby, it has come to a fruition in some way of giving a more deeper meaning to who I truly am. Being given up for adoption at birth, being raised a Buddhist while the rest of the household of aunts and uncles, cousins and the rest of the village being Muslim was a challenge even for a child and having to deal with religious taboos and the fate of being called a kafir and frowned upon by fellow Muslim classmates was the icing that capped the cake. 
 

I entered the temple as a child one day some 70 odd years ago and little did I realize that one day I would be stepping into the meditation hall of this temple again this time as an elder who had traveled the world. Did an intensive Zen Practice for two years at the San Francisco Zen Center at Green Gulch, Green Dragon Temple and spent time at the Tassajara Zen Mountain Center in The Big Sur in Carmel Valley, California; I had taken Buddhism to task. I have tasted much of what life has to offer and perhaps still not having a clue as to what or where my faith lies in; is there a God or was the Buddha right? Perhaps if any sense is to be made out of this whole journey it is that it is all an illusion as the Great Shakyamuni Buddha had realized, that it is all an illusion. That there is no one who stepped in or out of the gates of this, the Mahidarama Buddhist temple; a Zen saying -you can never step into the same river twice.

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The Temple itself has changed and my grandfather's  works are no more here being painted over by others over the years. However to me this small temple still holds a memory of my childhood years, sitting in awe of the statues and the benevolent looks of the old Theravadin Monks whose sense of compassion and understanding kept a frightened child from freaking out and becoming a welcome member of the community; the Sangha.

Namotasa Bhagavato Arahato Sama SamBuddhasang!

Homage to the World and Time Honored One!

Om Muni Muni Mahamuni Shakya Muni, Bodhisvaha!

I first took refuge in the Triple Jewels of the Buddha's teachings here beneath the canopy of my Grandfather's paintings.