The settlement of Bodh Gaya, here in the north of India, has grown up around the spot where Siddhartha Gautama became enlightened, some 2,600 years ago. Arriving here after the bustle of Calcutta (Kolkata) and the good-tempered chaos of an Indian train journey, I feel every cell of my being relaxing into a deep, timeless peace.
How much of this peaceful feeling is directly due to the energy of Gautam Buddha and his enlightenment? For sure the after effects of such an event can ripple out in time and space, touching us in ways that we can never know. But probably the tranquility that I feel here has more to do with others, with the thousands of pilgrims who come here in search of their own truth, or to express a reverence for Gautama.
Gautama was not the first to become enlightened and certainly not the last: Countless people have become enlightened, over the centuries. Somehow, though, Gautama’s liberation has come to symbolise this transformation for all of us. My feeling is that this is due to his teachings emphasising that each and every one of us, through our own sincere search, can come to this beautiful space of peace and freedom.
Thank you Gautama, for showing us so clearly what we are capable of!
