Tuesday after my lola's funeral I found myself scampering towards the somewhat remotely-situated but right-in-the middle-of-uptown Cebu Buddhist temple Fu Kwang San Chu Un in V. Rama Avenue. I was to cover their pre-Chinese New Year activities and preps! Well, suprise, surprise indeed!

February 6 that's tomorrow eve to be exact is the Chinese New Year celebration as the new lunar year begins, this year for the Rat and Rat Dance they had! I finally come into close interaction with the casts of the critically-acclaimed musical stage play Siddhartha: A Musical Journey to Enlightenment  and brushed elbows with my long-known friend from SNG, Benjie Layos, who plays the lead character.

Seems to me all of the encounters I've had in the past days up to now have given some lighter, more balanced experience which is more or less likely a series of eventful and meaningful coincidences in my life.

To note, I've long been fascinated in Buddhism- its entire principle, the meaning behind becoming like Buddha (or maybe not entirely like him), the fact that a growing number of people are becoming devout patriots to this form of faith or belief or that maybe after all what I perceived Buddhism to be could be wrong. Poor ignorant me!

The spark of interest must have started earlier in my life when I saw Buddhist monks in the movies garbed in their habits carrying around what we call Buddha beads and praying in their temples in such contemplative and revering manner. What I see in them are embodiments of free souls, wandering amidst the materialistic world, spreading the practice of living life in the simplest, most truthful and possibly righteuos of ways, and of achieving spiritual enlightenment in a way unexplainable to me.

But to be inside a real Buddhist temple while in the line of duty and being able to experience somehow the mystical magnificence of the place exudes as I become a part of it for some while is a real dream come true for me. The fascination has yet to consume me to this moment as I am still in awe, like as if the constellations have merged to make this one point happen in my life! Amazing!

So let me go back to the Chu Un Temple which literally means Compassionate Temple (Fu Kwang San means Buddha Light Mountain), where time seems to freeze for a moment. I got the chance to talk to the heads of the temple (Mr. Ben Chua and Mr. Ben Tan, as well as Mr. Erwin Go) during the show and the Buddhist masters later on, about the preps for the upcoming festivities. Tomorrow night is going to be packed with line up of activities such as the ceremonial lighting of the red lanterns, offering to the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy, a prayer ritual for the year ahead and some performances from the Siddharta casts culminated by a fireworks display come midnight. Everyone is invited to come and join in the celebration and fun. Not long after the show ended, I found myself munching on Fil-Chinese breakfast- a mix of puto-sikwati, vegetarian siomai and dumplings, and a bowl of misua for long life with the MBK crew, the temple officers and masters, and the stage play casts. I was instantly gratified both mind and body.

Another striking thing I found out today from Benjie was the fact that Jude Gitamondoc (the composer of In Another Lifetime whom I interviewed last week in the show) was the writer-composer of the Siddharta play! Benjie even confided in me that Jude found my blogs in the net about him and he was ecstatic to read it that he showed it his friends and had them all read it aloud! Oh my blushing cheeks must have flushed out redder than the temple itself! I could not help but feel flattered about it and just smile mile-wide! I sent Benjie my regards to Jude and hopefully soon I will find the answers from him.

It's almost as if my psyche was lifted up to the unknown pedestal. Have I also mentioned that last week I had an opportunity to try yoga for the first time? Ignorant was I to this form of science as I was to the spiritual way of life we call Buddhism, I figured later on that somehow these two are tied into that goal of achieving wholeness in mind, body and spirit.
There's so much to learn in such a short span of time. So much I need to traverse in so little time. I sighed in disbelief, Every passing day has become a fruitful journey. I thought for a second my life is falling into place. I could not ask for more but divine providence. Every step I take from this day moving forward should hopefully bring me good karma or at least some peace of mind. It took a while before I got this log completed but it's worth the while, worth the wait. I'm looking forward to a more spiritually, emotionally and mentally challenging new year ahead.

Kung Hei Fat Choi!

-written 02.05.08