Prostration man...

The Prostration Man

I had come to attend a workshop at the College of Science and Technology in Phuentsholing.

Sonam Yuden quickly rushed towards me and informed me that her guest has arrived.

I saw a man dressed in rags, pulling a wooden trolley behind him and with every step, drop his body forward and stretch it full length on the ground, with his arms outstretched in the front.

"Is that your guest?" I asked her, a little perplexed.

"Yes. I know him through my sister. He is doing prostration from Phuentsholing to Paro. He will stay here tonight. Please engage him in a conversation while I go and do some quick shopping. I won't take long."

I said okay.

A group of children soon gathered around him. The man had yak hide strapped on both his legs and wooden hand-shields for his prostrations. As he prostrated he dragged along with his body, a wooden trolley that was tied to his waist by chains. A small colorful flag tied on a stick fluttered at the back of his trolley.

Sonam walked towards the man who had now stopped his prostration and was undraping the ropes off his baggage that was fastened to the trolley.

I followed Sonam, who ran towards the children and shooed them away.

The man turned back, smiled and said kindly "C'mon Sonam…, don’t do that. They are just kids, poor children!"

I was surprised by the fluent English that he spoke in a clear and loud accent.

Sonam instructed the security guard at the college gate to look after her guest's trolley.
Then she led us to her apartment on the ground floor of the CST staff colony building. I helped the man carry his briefcase.

Sonam Yuden brought us tea and went out shopping, leaving me and the prostrating man in her house. The man changed his dress and sat on the sofa, facing me.

"It's nice meeting you. I really appreciate what you are doing" I told him, feeling amazed by his incredible undertaking.

"Oh, thank you" he laughed and took out a sungma from his bag.

"Here, please take it. This is from Bodh Gaya"

"Thank you, Lama"

"Oh C'mon man, don’t call me a Lama!" he laughed. "I am not a Lama. You can call me a friend or just call me Chimi. That’s my name".

"Okay" I replied with a mix of devotion laughter. I saw that Chimi was a humorous and lively man.

"Tell me, how long have you been into serious Buddhism?" I asked him.

"Five" he replied and then continued, "I worked as a tour guide before."

I learnt that it was he who escorted Richard Gere to Taktsang when he visited Bhutan.

Surely he looked like any active and fun loving man if it weren’t for his shabby dress that smelt of dust.

"Who is your master?" I asked him, sipping my tea and picking up a biscuit.

"Rabjam Rinpoche" he replied.

"Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche?"

"Yes. He is my Tsawai Lama. Rinpoche treats me like his own son. He has this habit of calling me 'my only piece Shechen Gomchen' "giggled Chimi.

"Is this your first time prostration?"

"No. I have done a couple of times before, this is my fourth. The last time I prostrated was from Lumbini to Bodh Gaya. My destination this time is from Phuentsholing to Paro Kyichu Lhakhang"

"Where do you plan to go next?"

"I don’t know. I don’t keep any plan. I will think about it after I complete my present task"

"You started this morning from Phuentsholing?"

"Yes. Actually my original plan was to do the prostration from Bodh Gaya but I had to dismiss the idea because of dangerous traffic along the border."
"How do people react when they see you?"

He laughed.

"Well, sometimes people make fun of me. Some people think I am mad. This morning a group of girls saw me from the bus and exclaimed 'Aiiii....' They were looking at me very pitifully."

At this I burst into a loud laughter. He laughed, too.

"C'mon, I am not a beggar" he said. Then he changed into a serious tone and said emphatically "You know, it is for them that I feel great pity. People do not realize that they will have to die sooner or later"

There was a moment of silence.

"Don’t you face financial problem? Where do you get the money from?"
Now I was beginning to feel as though I were a journalist interviewing him. I was asking him one question after another.

"Well, things just click on" he snapped his finger. "Pray to Guru Rinpoche and everything will be fine. It just clicks" he said. His face radiated the warmest and assuring smile.

"Do people offer you money when they see you on the way?" I asked him.

"Oh yes, there are those who offer good wishes and donations out of respect. This afternoon, a lady in Land Cruiser bearing a BHT number plate stopped by me and offered me some cash. I think she was Ashi Deki."

Chimi took out a rolled bundle of cash from the side of his bag pocket.
"How much is there?" I asked him curiously, and feeling stupid at the same time.

"I didn’t bother to count" he replied, and passed me the cash. I counted it for him. There was one thousand ngultrum.

"I am sure you will grab the media attention very soon. What would you tell them if they were to ask you why you are undertaking this challenging task?"

"I believe that the only time to cleanse our sins is now when we have the energy and the willingness to do so,” said my friend. “It’s wrong that many people today think that practicing the dharma is only for the elderly."

This was a wonderful message.

Just then Sonam Yuden arrived carrying two large plastic bags of fruits and vegetables.

Chimi even carried a sewing needle with him. He began to stitch a torn portion of his dirt-smeared bag. It pained my heart to see him do this.

I quickly walked back to my room in the guest house, emptied my things on the floor and came back with my favorite leather bag to give it to the prostration man.

"I know you can afford to buy a new bag. I understand that. Well…if you don’t mind, it will be an honor if you please accept this bag of mine. This bag has traveled with me everywhere – from Thimphu to Delhi to London, and many other places. I would be very happy to see it reach with you to Kyichu lhakhang." I told him.

The prostration man thanked me and accepted my bag with a kind smile. My mind flooded with a pleasant emotion at the thought of my bag reaching Kyichu lhakhang with the incredible man.

"Do please pray for me that I may meet with a great teacher too and be able to develop a mind like yours." I told my friend.

"Sure, man. I shall make these aspirations and prayers for you" he said.

Soon dinner was laid. Sonam had cooked rice with ema datsi and many other delicacies.

After dinner, before we departed, I asked Chimi for his mobile number. I saved it as 'prostration man' in my cell phone.

We never met again.

However, later I saw him reported by the media. The last time I read about him was that he had reached ThrumsengLa, prostrating along the snow-covered road from Bumthang to Trashiyangtse.
26 CommentsPosted on 02 Sep 2009 by JigmedTobgay