Meeting a Monk

I entered the shop and all of a sudden was addressed by another shopper ‘Namaste’. It was an old occidental man in Black Jeans and orange T-shirt, folding his hands in Indian way. I was surprised to hear Hindi from him. Immediately I folded by hands in response and replied ‘Namaste’.

I think he was not so sure about me being an Indian. As soon as he heard my response, he seemed pleased and asked ‘Indian?’ An affirmative answer found his smile turned to a big grin. He said he had been to India and stayed in Bodhgaya, Bihar. Upon hearing that I belong to the same state of
Bihar, his happiness came oozing out of his eyes and radiating from his face.

He turned out to be a Buddhist and had learnt Buddhist scriptures. Leaving his home in US, he has traveled most of Buddhist regions of India, Tibet and Japan. He had spent his time in Bodhgaya and Dharmshala and had worn the Buddhist monk robes, tonsured his head and translated some of the

Buddhist scriptures from Sanskrit to English. Way back, he told, he had met the Dalai Lama too.
No one can make out by his attire and his looks that once he lived a life of a monk. Currently he has been teaching English in Fukuoka. Curiously, I asked him, why such a change?

He said the Dalai Lama has once told him ‘It’s easier to become a monk, wear robes and stay away from the world as there would be no temptation. But wearing blue jeans and T-shirt and still remain a true Buddhist is much tougher’. So, he said, ‘I chose the tougher path. I failed but I am happy at least I have been trying.’