Pilgrimage Moments: Buddhist Teachings

Narrator:   Once back at the Hermitage, the pilgrims meet Lama Shenpen, its founder and spiritual leader at the stupa.

Lama Shenpen:          So you could say that the stupa represents the center of the universe and the center of the universe could be anywhere or everywhere. So this is, if you like, a representation of it that actually contains the essence of it. So when we walk towards the stupa, we're walking to the center of the universe, which lies beyond all our thinking and opinions. It's considered to be radiating love and compassion, so it's considered to be very powerful. And the center of it is called a tree of life. Because really, in a way, Buddhism is about finding, well, what is the significance? What is life? What is birth? What is death? You could say, well, our life is a pilgrimage. We start with birth. You have this vision of a journey and the significance of your life. And then life ends. Your body dies. Yeah?

Spencer:    Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt you. I just have. I have a question. Yeah. I've always just felt that energy and people's energy. Because I believe you can feel the people's energy. Like it's a physical thing that you can feel. Why would the energy die with the body? So I've always assumed that, you know, when I take my last breath in this body that something will happen to my energy.

Lama Shenpen:          Yeah. Other cultures would find it. Mad to think that actually, that's all that happened. It lasted one lifetime and then it disappeared. What are you talking about? You die, and then you just manifest again in another body, in another place, in another time.

Michaela   Do you believe that you go from one body into another body, or is it just an energy that comes out and and circulates?

Lama Shenpen:          I think one way you can think of it is it's more like the world we create collapses, and then we've got to start again with a another situation, which is our new life.

Eshaan:     I sometimes feel like some of these ideas exist to give solace to the people that are left behind in a sense, like. But actually, we don't really know. Like, I don't know where my mum has gone. I have no idea. When I pray to her, I have no idea if she is in an afterlife. I'm just praying into the ether and hoping that she receives some of my energy or whatever it might be.

Lama Shenpen:          It's beautiful, isn't it? There's an intuitive sense that there's a meaning to that. A lot of people do seem to find those ideas helpful.

Narrator:   Lama Shenpen invites the pilgrims to take part in a ritual at the stupa.

Lama Shenpen:          As we live our life, we actually are creating a story. That's our life. And then we're holding on to things that we think are us.

Narrator:   The ritual helps nurture the path to spiritual awakening and enlightenment.

Lama Shenpen:          In some ways. When we walk around the stupa, go on our pilgrimage around the stupa, we come back to where we started, but maybe with a different perspective.

Christine:  As a mum. Of course. I don't ever want to leave this earth. I want to be around forever. To be with my children. Everything Lama explained made perfect sense. It was very much that. You know, your energy lives on. Okay your body might leave, but your soul and your energy is there. And that's amazing. That, for me is something that I want to believe in. That means we get to live on forever, doesn't it? I'm not scared of death anymore. I'm not scared of death.

Sonali:       Lama Shenpen said that life is a pilgrimage and that no one has ever said to me. I've learnt that today and it's so right. I always say I'm of Jain origin. I'm not practicing. That term practicing kind of always, it's difficult for me because then I feel like I've got to prove I'm doing something concrete. And maybe today has just confirmed. Maybe I should just say I am Jain. And then whatever I do, my intention of living a good life with as much non-violence as possible is probably all right.

Eshaan:     My mum felt like the centre of my universe, so I felt a real connection to this physical manifestation of centring of the universe. Every time I went round, I could feel my brain and my heart going. This is a new thing. So this was the first time where I got a sense that my stupa is missing, which is why I feel this way. I feel like I'm floating through the universe without anything to anchor me.

Lama Shenpen:          Thank you.

All Pilgrims:  Thank you so much.

Michaela:  That was beautiful.