Three Steps One Bow

Three thousand people gathered at our community running track Monday evening for Three Steps One Bow.  It was Buddha's birthday yesterday (Vesak Day and a public holiday here to celebrate Buddha's birth, enlightenment, and death) and the celebrations overtook our community for days!  Another tent was erected in our community square for prayer, and chanting hung through the air.  The tent was filled with candles and flowers and many Buddhist quotes.  The whole affair was fabulous!

The 3 Steps 1 Bow event was a procession of a group of people who took three steps forward, got down on their knees and bowed, and got up again to repeat.  They repeated this for three hours.  A rhythmic chant with bells and chimes repeated throughout the procession.  We observed rather than participated due to my 'bigness' (my belly that is), but it was peaceful and energizing at the same time.  The purpose of the activity is to aggregate compassion, devotion, repentance, and gratitude, and offer these blessings to themselves, their families, society, Japan, and the World.

I have to admit it's been my favorite religious activity I've observed so far.

This practice is typically done as a pilgrimage for days... in silence... bowing in and for peace.... learning about yourself and others.  I read of a couple of monks who did this for three days taking no food but relying on strangers to feed them along the way.  An amazing practice of dependence and vulnerability.  People who have experienced this pilgrimage observe their thoughts to increase awareness, and their thoughts certainly include ones of food!

I think of food a lot these days.  Why does a 7 1/2 month pregnant woman think of food so much?  Indeed, I am hungry more frequently than 'normal'.  But even when I'm not hungry, I'm thinking of food.  In fact, I've been thinking of cheezies for weeks... and I can't find real cheezies in Singapore.

We missed the Dharma talk on Sunday evening past, but apparently there are Dharma talks at the Zen Centre here.  These talks might help me find the purpose of my obsession with food these days.  No seriously, I think attending a talk could help guide one towards their purpose in life.  Since we moved here, we've learned a lot about other cultures, traveling in itself, other people, and ourselves.  We've had a lot of change, and I've also had a very different experience than first intended.  I'm accepting, going with what is presented, and growing (in more ways than one!).  The next couple of years will bring much change and a little guidance for the future could certainly help.

Happy Birthday Buddha!  Thank-you for your teachings.