Rev. Danny Fisher

Please take a moment to explore the Brahmavihara organization’s website at http://www.brahmavihara.cambodiaaidsproject.org/.

Greetings from Bodh Gaya.

I wish I could communicate how good it feels to be back here again. On the one hand, I feel like a stranger in a strange land–Bodh Gaya has changed dramatically in seven years. (Among other things, this once small village is now home to an international airport with direct flights to Delhi, Columbo, Bangkok, and…somewhere else…Yangoon maybe?) But, on the other hand, a part of my spirit feels reinvigorated. Some part of my heart that had naturally atrophied while I was away is getting a work-out again.

Two lovely Theravada nuns I know have just completed an exciting project at the Mahabodhi Stupa. They brought craftsman from Nepal to gild the top spire of the temple in gold. It shines even brighter now, if you can believe it.

If you’ve been following international weather news, you might have heard about the cyclone in the Bay of Bengal that has caused some flooding in Bihar. For the most part, all is well here in Bodh Gaya. It has been finally stopped raining after five straight days. The Neranjana River has risen and things have cooled things off considerably. Goodness knows we needed the latter. It was brutally hot upon our arrival. Just shy of 100 degrees with maximum humidity. I got sick right away, adjusting to the sweltering conditions. Happily, the heat bug didn’t last long and I’m pleased to report that I am now physiologically acclimated to the weather in this part of India.

I have arrived in India safely. I’m currently in New Delhi, and have been here for three days. The group I am with heads to Bodh Gaya tomorrow by train.

It’s wonderful to be back in India. It’s not as intimidating and unbelievable as it was the first time. It’s more familiar this time. In fact, it feels a bit like a homecoming. I’m totally jazzed to be here again.

This morning, we went to Jama Masjid, the largest mosque in South Asia. To say that it vibrates with holiness doesn’t do it justice. It’s breathtaking, and the people you meet there are extraordinarily kind. One man who works at the temple gave us a private tour of the reliquary which houses a hair from the Prophet Mohammed’s beard, one of his sandals, and a piece of marble with his footprint in it. He asked all to touch the footprint with our hand and then touch our hands to our head. It was a powerful moment. Some small boys also showed one of the people I am with how to get in without having to pay an outrageously high fee for her camera. When she tried to give them some candy as a way of saying thank you, they refused. They just wanted her to enjoy herself in the mosque and learn something of the true spirit of Islam. As we took rickshaws through Old Delhi on our way to the Shri Digambar Jain Lar Mandir (a Jain temple), some of us reflected that this felt like quite a special thing to have done today, on the fifth anniversary of 9/11.

After visiting the Jain temple (which was also quite striking), we took a bus back to the hostel we are staying at and got caught in a traffic jam of truly spectacular proportions near the Lal Qil’lah, or the “Red Fort” (the palace of Muslim Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan). It was actually kind of fun, though: a lot of school children were being dismissed and would wave at as and make faces. This never ceased to be entertaining, and we hardly noticed that it took as an hour to go only a couple of miles.

I’m off in just a few minutes to go traditional Indian clothes shopping, so I must sign off for now. Next time you hear from me, I’ll be in Bodh Gaya.

Saint of 9/11, the new documentary about Fr. Mychal Judge, the gay Franciscan priest and New York Fire Department chaplain who died at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, will open in twelve U.S. cities next week on the fifth anniversary of 9/11.

A recent press release about the film says:

Father Judge became the international symbol of heroism on 9/11 when a Reuters photograph depicted his body being removed from the World Trade Center. After the attack, it was revealed that Father Judge declined Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s invitation to join him, instead choosing to be with the FDNY and victims of the terrorist attack.

The film is directed by Glenn Holsten and narrated by Academy Award nominee Sir Ian McKellan.

To view the trailer, find out about screenings, or pre-order the DVD, visit http://www.saintof9-11.com.

If you’re a regular reader to this blog, then you’ve probably noticed the scrolling text in the masthead, which alludes to my impending journey eastward. Tomorrow I am off to the village of Bodh Gaya in Bihar, India–the site of the Buddha’s enlightenment. I’ll be there until just after the new year, working for a Buddhist Studies program in the area. I don’t anticipate much computer access, but I do hope to blog from time to time, so please keep your eyes peeled for new posts and such. I wish you all happiness, health, and peace, and I leave you now with this bit of wisdom from His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet:

Every day, think as you wake up, today I am fortunate to have woken up, I am alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it, I am going to use all my energies to develop myself, to expand my heart out to others, to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all beings, I am going to have kind thoughts towards others, I am not going to get angry or think badly about others, I am going to benefit others as much as I can.