Lotus's Perspective- Journey through my teaching career.

My only hope was on the hot stream to do the job of ‘cooking’ the rice while we make our way to the monastery. Other was, of course, a miracle to happen! I believed in god. I cursed myself so much that I hesitated to even join the team. I didn’t know what or how to confess the truth. Through the phone, I hinted them the worst but it was for them to unearth the hint. Nevertheless, it was not going to fix the problem. When I reached the spot where my friends were believed to be waiting, I could barely breathe. I am so particular about time and I become impatient when people fail to stick to time. Today though, I felt like a hypocrite. When I saw madam Karma, I didn’t know what to say as she sounded lil mad while calling. But to my surprise, she was the only one waiting there. Upon enquiry, it seemed like others were still on the bed. We waited there for next 30 minutes or so. That time, I frowned at Karma saying that if she didn’t call me to hurry up, I could have even cooked new ri...

Therefore, the day at such a heavenly place is a dream of many. I had dreamt for a few years, and thanks to the initiatives of my friends, I could finally be there. I had every reason to be happy and ecstatic about the day and the eventual destination. But I was not! I was disturbed by a thought, which I never intended to think but had to. Every single minute was a mental torture for me! I looked around to see my friends having best of their times, which I totally envied. I wished to be in their shoes but I knew I couldn’t. I was a severely disturbed lad on the block of hundreds of devotees. Hands firmly clasped into a form of lotus flower, I tried visualizing Buddha and Guru Rinpoche in an effort to drive away those bothering thoughts. Although I was surrounded by hundreds of people, I felt so lonely. If it wasn’t for my camera, I would have felt even lonelier; it was the camera that gave me the best of companion on that day. Not that my friends ignored me, I know they would never do ...

I have never felt this bad in a long time. The day merited a much better mood and thoughts for it was an auspicious day of Buddha’s parnirvana. For Buddhist, the day is so special that almost everybody refrains from doing regular household chores/duties and visit holy sites and monasteries to offer prayers and butter lamps. It is believed that if one engages in good activities, no matter how small it might be, the merit gained is particularly enormous on such auspicious days. Of course, by the same token if one commits sin, it is going to be enormous as well. For that matter, I guess, the day is considered special to remember Buddha’s profound life and unparallel deeds. Since the day is considered a national holiday, it is also an opportunity for people alike to get together and catch up.  It was exactly what I was bound for, yesterday. The day before, just a moment before I retired to the bed, a friend of mine called me up asking if I would be interested to join them on a tri...

Whenever I feel tired of my work or lose hope in it, I pull out a bunch of papers containing feedbacks provided every semester by the students and start reading word-by-word and line-by-line. I don’t have the best of feedbacks, that’s not my point, after all I am a beginner and expecting best feedbacks isn’t a reasonable thing. I know I have a long way to go to achieve that. But their feedbacks keep me going and hold me on my toes. Most of them are genuine and constructive in nature. As I stand in the classrooms doing my job, I am reminded and guided by their feedbacks. In fact, they are my true source of inspiration not other way round. Sometimes, they betray my effort and trust but I choose to focus on majority of good doings than whine over minority of bad doings. Of course, I lose control and cool. I scold them for not paying attention, not turning up on time and writing exams carelessly. But I do so all with a deep sense of care and love for them. I want them to succeed and go ou...