Let me take you to 2016 where I did a 10-day course in Tushita Institute in which I did a course on "Introduction of Buddhism". Under this course, I learned what Buddhism is and what its teachings are. By staying here for 10 days, I explored new things about myself which have helped me a lot in understanding life, these teachings help me in travel as well as play an important role in recognizing people.
First of all, let me tell you how I reached here. While roaming in the Himalayas for many years, I explored Ladakh and Spiti, then I got a chance to connect with Buddhist monasteries and monks and understand this culture. When I wanted to understand more, I found this religion very interesting and this happened because I am very influenced by the principles of Mahatma Buddha. Some books and Himalayan monasteries took me forward on the path of understanding it.
In 2016, when I returned from Sikkim after doing an advanced mountaineering course, I applied for the “Introduction of Buddhism” organized by an institute named Tushita. I did not know what was going to happen in this course but I was very excited about this course. This institute is located in Dharamshala in the state of Himachal Pradesh in North India. I moved forward mentally preparing myself for a new place and a new journey of life.
My turn came for the October course, I went straight from home to Delhi Kashmiri Gate from where I took a bus to Dharamshala, Dharamshala is 585 km from Delhi and it took 12 hours to complete this bus journey. Since it was an overnight journey, I spent most of the time sleeping. In the morning the bus dropped me at Dharamshala at 6 am from where I now have to reach McLeodgunj which is 6 km away. Check-in time will start at 12 noon, in which there is a lot of time.
I set out with my rucksack in which I have brought clothes for 10 days, thinking of completing this 6 km long distance on foot. In about 1.5 hours I reach McLeodgunj Circle, it is only 8 in the morning so I spend the rest of the time sitting in the institute campus. After waiting for 2 hours, finally the time comes when all the trainees get entry inside the institute, we wait for our turn at the reception.
After taking everyone's forms at the reception, a meeting is held in which our group is told what will be taught in this course and what this tushita is. We get a dome for a group of 8 people in which 8 of us will stay. There are a total of 60 people with us. We go to our respective domes and keep our luggage after which we are called to the meditation hall. Here we are told that everyone will get basic and boiled food 3 times a day and from now on we are not to talk to anyone for the next 10 days.
Our silent period has started, some instructions were also given that no one will talk, no one will read books, no one will draw and whoever has been given any work will do it with full dedication. This course is donation based so whoever wants to donate can do so and whoever does not wish to do so can not. Although the institute told the value of the course as INR 5000, some people gave more than the value and people like me who had a low budget gave INR 2500.
So we stayed in the campus for 10 days, everyone had to reach the meditation hall at 5 am where we used to meditate till 8 am. Breakfast is served between 8-9 am after which we got one hour for our work. We meditated again from 11 am to 1 pm after which we had lunch till 3 pm. After lunch there was a theory class in which we were told about Buddhism. There was a tea break at 5 pm and after that we got one hour of rest.
We used to have dinner by 8 pm, after which everyone had to go to their domes and just sleep without speaking anything. I could hardly speak a word in these 10 days. By staying in this course, I learned that I can stay for 10 days without speaking, for the first time in my life, after eating boiled food, I understood about myself that I can also eat boiled food. I learned to clean the toilet and wash utensils. According to the teachings of the course, we were told about cleaning ourselves.
There was a lot more but everything cannot be written in writing, that too the knowledge of 10 days. I enjoyed it a lot and I would like to repeat this course sometime again. I am sharing the photos of this campus in today's post. Situated at 2000 meters, this place is situated in the lap of nature. By staying here, the body and mind automatically become balanced. Do tell us how you liked this post. Have you ever done meditation?
Disclaimer: This post is originally written in Hindi and I have used Google Translator to translate the Hindi text in English. All the photos have been clicked by me from POCO F1 and edited in lightroom, post thumbnail created in adobe photoshop.</>
