Awakening STILLNESS

IN SIGHT

The water splattered to the floor after it streamed down a boy who was cleaning his newly shaven head. Tomorrow, he will become one of 41 boys to join the summer novice ordination ceremony at Wat Phanittaram in Chachoengsao province.

In steaming weather, I observed these seedlings of buddhahood and my heart glowed.

"Clear and chilled water may have awakened someone from their sleep. It is the awakening of stillness," a thought drifted by while I was capturing pictures of the boys who, one by one, were having their heads shaven.

And another thought emerged: The act of giving up one's hair is an initial step to discharge one's bondage.

I used to feel like this at one time when I became a nun some three years ago. But I wasn't sure if any of these boys shared similar thoughts as I did.

Some of the smaller boys looked delighted with their new guise, while some of the other boys who were more grown up appeared to be calm and ready to take on their new role at this particular stage of their lives; to nurture the faith that is deep in the hearts of the people and be a guidance toward monkhood.

Becoming ordained is a moment of courage in which one must persevere on the path of noble practices deservant of respect by the people in the community.

In a month from now these novices will have learned to clear the burdens of life, gradually cleanse them in the stream of dharma and hoping that one day the space in their hearts will become pure, signifying the beginning of liberating oneself from the weight of worldly attachments.