There were many cripples and lepers among them, which called upon the compassion of passers-by. Baja wasn’t physically handicapped, so getting some money from people wasn’t too easy for him unless he used his clever mind and the inborn gift of his pitiful voice. He was always afraid that one day he wouldn’t be able to get anything and thought of putting some money aside for a day like that, but the master was very perspicacious and the boy couldn’t manage to hide anything. Once when he brought only a pittance, he was brutally beaten up. After that he began to think about escape, but he was convinced that the master had very long arms and hired a gang of young men with the eyes of hungry wolves who, at the slightest world from the master, were ready to tear anyone into pieces. The fact that the master had connections with the police and the government became obvious to Baja, when two other beggars tried to escape to the neighboring state. The police looked for them through the media and quite soon they were caught, handcuffed and brought back to the master. They were given a lesson which was meant for the rest of the beggars as well: these two were tied up and put into a pit full of poisonous snakes, where they died in pain and with curses on their lips. The display of this torture made a strong impact on Baja’s consciousness and his fear grew stranger. And then one day, his worst nightmares came true-he appeared in front of the master empty-handed. On that day Baja’s luck betrayed him. The Master got furious and began to shout at him: “Bastard! You’ve got so completely overfed that nobody wants to give you anything! And that’s because of my kindness! It’s time for me to correct my fault”.

After that, Baja was tied up and taken to be left at the feet of the statue of Kali Durga on the statue of the morning they would cut off his fingers and an ear to offer to the goddess. Undoubtedly, after that Baja would be a cripple and would succeed in begging. Baja was terrified to the core of his being and began to think desperately of a way to get his tied hands out from under his body, bringing them to the front and then gnawing on the rope with his teeth, severing the knots keeping him down. Then he also untied his feet and escaped. Without having any clear idea as to where to go, he was just running away. And while running, he realized that his escape would not last long, unless somebody helped him to hide properly. Thus Baja appeared in the rich area of Bombay where there were many luxury hotels, and wandering the entire place, he was contemplating his destiny and bad luck to be born and live in the inhuman conditions, which had brought him to this terrible situation. He thought that if he was born in a foreign country he would never have had to live this kind of life. At that moment the whistling of a policeman interrupted his thinking and he realized that it was time for him to hide. It seemed that the long arm of the master was stretching out to catch him. Terrified he ran up to the first passer by and began to plead for help. Secretly in his heart calling upon all his gods and protectors, he met with Ama Chela. When some people come across the needs of others, they are ready to devote much more of their energy and make more effort than they do when they have to solve their own problems. Ama Chela was such a person. Without hesitation she decided immediately to get the boy out of the country, but how? The easiest way would be by sea. But Baja didn’t have any documents to identify his person. Thinking over this, she sent Baja to take a shower, then fed him well and put him into bed.

The next day, she first of all cancelled her air-ticket and bought a ticket for a ship. The soonest ship going to America was on Sunday, in three days. Later that day, she went to the super-market and bought new clothes for Baja. After that, she took him to the hairdresser for a haircut. His hair cut and dressed neatly, Baja couldn’t recognize himself when he stood in the hotel room looking in the mirror for a long time. His eyes filled with tears. His heart was full of gratitude. Ama Chela, looking at the boy, felt incredibly sorry for him, who had never known a mother’s love or affection before in his life. At that moment she clearly understood that it was her duty now to take care of him and try to give him that love of which he had been deprived since early childhood. But this was not the only problem she had to solve.

The next day, Baja’s photo appeared on local TV and the police announced that they were looking for a criminal who had stolen some expensive jewelry from the house of some important person. It was a lie made up by Baja’s master to get him back. Ama Chela understood that now they had to be very careful and had to invent a very clever way to bring Baja on board. She bought a trunk, made holes in its sides for Baja to get some air to breathe, then she asked the boy to try to fit himself into the trunk. Rolled up inside the trunk, Baja said that it was comfortable enough for him to stay there all the time, that the trunk was a better home for him then any other he’d had, and that he would rather die than the police find him. Ama Chela realized quite what kind of responsibility she had assumed. She knew also that at the customs they used dogs, trained to smell drugs, and these dogs could smell Baja as well. The only way to ward off the dogs was to use some strong perfume. And Ama Chela knew what she needed for that purpose. She ran to the market and bought some musk. It was pretty expensive as a gram of musk is about the same price as a gram of gold. Then she anointed the trunk with it. Having tied a scarf around his face to protect himself from the strong smell, Baja fitted himself into the trunk and they took off for the port. Approaching the quay, Ama Chela felt her heart pounding violently but she didn’t let any doubt sway her as she confidently came up to the customs check-post.

The customs officer was a young woman with a scatter-brained look, who had a garland of yellow flowers around her neck. She gave Ama Chela an affable welcoming smile, put a stamp in her passport and wished her a pleasant journey. Everything suggested a lucky outcome as the police dogs took a smell at the trunk, sniffed a few times and moved further. As Ama Chela preceded through the customs check post another officer, who appeared to be quite thorough, stopped her, and looking through her declaration, asked if she had any weapons, drugs or jewelry with her. Finally, Ama Chela’s huge trunk attracted his attention and he asked about its contents. She looked at him directly, without blinking and said that there were religious scriptures and books on yoga in the trunk. The customs officer nodded approvingly and putting another stamp in her passport asked her to open the trunk. It was the time for Ama Chela to use her gift of playing an actress. Without any hesitation she said: “You see, actually this trunk belongs to one of my friends. No doubt, you’ll recognize him in this photo!” Then she took the photo out of her pocket and showed it to the customs officer. The face of the custom officer grew long. He was astounded when he saw in the photo Ama Chela standing next to the President of India. It was obvious that he recognized the president in the photo. On the back of the picture there was a telephone number and a bold signature. Ama Chela took out her mobile telephone and dialed the number. After a few short signals, she could hear a pleasant woman’s voice, saying:

“Hello!” “I would like to speak to Mr. President, please.” She said. If the custom officer hadn’t been so excited and uneasy, he would have been able to hear a naughty tone in Ama Chela’s voice, but he was too shocked. After some time she greeted someone on the phone and began to explain what was happening to her at the customs. At the end of her speech, she pronounced the name of the poor customs officer, which she learnt from the card pinned to his uniform. Then she handed him the receiver. Being already frightened out of his wits and stunned, the customs officer waved both his hands, showing that he wouldn’t be able to utter a world. Ama Chela cast a fiery look at him, then bid farewell to the president on the phone and asked the officer if she could proceed to the ship. The officer was still paralyzed and speechless. Ama Chela took her trunk and rolled it further. Nobody stopped her anymore. Thus Ama Chela and Baja appeared on the ship, and were surrounded by the pleasant and welcoming atmosphere there. At last they got into their cabin and Ama Chela could release Baja from the temporary confinement. Tears of joy were rolling down her cheeks when she was kissing Baja’s head, overwhelmed with happiness. Finally they could relax. Their plan had been carried out, and they had succeeded. Now, I would like to give some explanations as to the photo and the address on the back of it. This photo had been made last year at the official reception in the American Embassy in Delhi. At that time, Ama Chela couldn’t know that this picture would serve her such a favour in the future. Later, on the back of this photo, she wrote down the address of her good friend from the Ministry, who strikingly resembled the president. Due to this resemblance, Ama Chela intimately called her friend “president”. When she called her friend from the customs check-post, first she talked to his niece, who also was Ama Chela’s good friend. The girl immediately recognized her and called her uncle. Thus Ama Chela tricked the custom officer, using her picture with the president and her acquaintance from the Ministry. So Ama Chela and Baja were sailing safely, comfortably and happily! For the first time in his life Baja could enjoy as much ice cream as he was able to eat, and that was ten portions a day! Because of this, Ama Chela, who was providing the ice cream for him, was called a sweet-eater among her new acquaintances on the ship.

Soon they reached the shores of America and while the ship was entering the harbour, Baja saw the Statue of Liberty with his own eyes. Perhaps was his good karma or perhaps it was Ama Chela’s unselfish intentions and immense compassion that helped them to overcome difficulties and finish up Baja’s troubles, but since then Baja’s heart has been filled with a new hope for a happy future. America became the Promised Land for him and became his second Motherland. First Ama Chela helped him to get a refugee card and later he got an American citizenship. He graduated from college and entered the Academy of Cinematography. Later he became a talented film-director and was famous in Hollywood. After his film about Queen Elizabeth he became a world-renowned film-director and a very rich man. But he never forgot his early years that he spent in the streets of Bombay. He regularly gave donations to the poor and homeless, to all those in need, thus hoping not to be reborn as a beggar in his future lives.

I would like you, readers, to tell me honestly, from the bottom of your hearts. Are there many people among us who would be ready to assume the needs and troubles of someone completely unknown to them, without considering their our expenses, waste of precious time, inconveniences, psychological and moral difficulties on account of actions carried out against the law? Are there many people like Ama Chela?

A test of Tengon’s2 will

Phat! Loudly I blow the tibial Ganling3

And whirl in Dharmadhatu’s4 dance of emptiness

I’m the Lord of Tantra5 searching the fearlessness.

amsara6 and Nirvana7 merge in my consciousness.

This is a story about the famous Yogi, the monk Tengon, who was a great master of Chod8 practice. Of course, not at once did he become a Chod master; for Tengon, the way to perfection was not easy. Although now old and young people know about the famous feats of Tengon, there was a time when nobody had heard of him. He was the second son of shepherds in Aga and according to tradition, he was sent to a master of Chod, Shining Chogyaltsen9, to study. Tengon’s teacher used a big Damaru10 during his practice, and when the weights tied to the sides of the drum beat the taut snake skin, sparks would appear. Nobody could explain this wonderful phenomenon. People said that it was a blessing from the radiant Guru11 Padmasamhava12, which Tengon’s teacher had received after spending 30-years as an ascetic, in retreat. Once Guru Chogyaltsen gave Tengon an order to practice on the shore of the Aga13 river. It was a special retreat to test his endurance, during which he would chant without pause for food, drink or other needs for 3 days. Like all future warriors, he would be tested by demons who would attempt to harm him during any rest or meal.

Three days before the full moon, the test of young Tengon began. By the full moon he would be primed to destroy any personal impurities. He sat on the shore of the beautiful Aga river which flowed with emerald-pure water and was lined by curving banks as graceful in harmony as a Dakinie14 goddess.

The divination dice predicted success: the beginning of his retreat coincided with the day of Pelginyam15, a day good for any undertaking; and he felt young, full of energy for great deeds. He was determined to achieve Siddhi16, in order to help all the people on the earth. To sit on green soft grass was a pleasure, with which any skillful carpet manufacturer could not compete and certainly, one could not produce such a natural scent. A light wind refreshed Tengon and carried away his melodious prayer. The sun shone cheerfully in the endless blue sky, and millions of beams were reflected as gold patches of light on the surface of the water. The first day passed easily, and Tengon thought that this task seemed a mere trifle. He was full of pride “I’m so formidable, my mere appearance here has dispersed all the local spirits” – he thought. With a frown and a haughty gaze, Tengon imagined himself all-powerful. Only one thing annoyed him, that his Teacher-Guru did not see him as the “Incomparable Tengon”, at the peak of his greatness and power.

After draining his energy through daydreaming, by the end of the second day, he began to wear down. Now he felt thirsty and wished to sleep. He wondered why he should burden himself with any such paltry practice if he were so powerful. He only needed to find a way to explain his invincibility to his Teacher.

Such were his confused ramblings and by the end of the second night, Tengon’s speech was unclear. He had begun to hallucinate; he imagined that all the harmful spirits of the earth were united against him, and surrounded him from different directions, desiring to tear him to pieces. Tengon shook his head, trying drive them off so that he would not be conquered by somnolence. Tengon dreamed of a time when, upon finishing this retreat, he would sleep the whole day, even three whole days. The opportunity to sleep for some hours, accessible practically to everyone, seemed to him to be the greatest happiness. He began to count the time until the end of his retreat. But it stubbornly did not pass quickly. It seemed as though time had paused and the retreat continued endlessly.

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Примечания

Mother Theresa was an incredible beacon of warmth for all people, particularly those suffering from neglect, hunger and spiritual poverty.

Ama Chela2 – The story of Ama Chela is an incredible one. She was born in Alaska, the daughter of a Russian émigré and Sanskrit scholar who escaped during the Russian Revolution of 1917.

Tengon is a monk who is named after Tenzin Gombo, protector of the Dharma.

Ganling is a type of traditional Tibetan horn made from a tibia.

Dharmadhatu, ultimate sphere, totality of being, total field of events and meanings, the sphere of Dharma, field of all events and meanings, reality field, element of [superior] qualities, dharmadhatu, realm of dharmas, {chos khams}; the dimension of all existence; the expanse of All That Is; the sphere of Dharma, expanse of all events, absolute expanse.

Tantra. The Vajrayana teachings given by the Buddha in his sambhogakaya form. The real sense of tantra is ‘continuity, the innate buddha nature, which is known as the tantra of the expressed meaning. The general sense of tantra is the extraordinary tantric scriptures also known as the tantra of the expressing words. Can also refer to all the resultant teachings of Vajrayana as a whole.

Samsara. “Cyclic existence,” ‘vicious circle’ or ‘round’ of birth and death and rebirth within the six realms of existence, characterized by suffering, impermanence, and ignorance. The state of ordinary sentient beings fettered by ignorance and dualistic perception, karma and disturbing emotions. Ordinary reality, an endless cycle of frustration and suffering generated as the result of karma.

Nirvana, transcendence of sorrow, nirvana, having been delivered from pain, nirvana, [gone beyond misery] transcendence, to pass into nirvana, passed into nirvana. Buddhahood.

Chod is a sacred meditative practice dedicated to ending attachment.

Chogyaltsen is a Tibetan name which means Dharma’s flag.

Damaru is a hand drum used during ceremonial offerings.

Guru is a Sanskrit term for teacher.

Padmasamhava was an Indian yogi who brought the practice of Yoga to Tibet and later became a Tibetan god.

The Aga is a river in Buraytia, Siberia, which lies in Eastern Russia.

DAKINI. 1) Spiritual beings who fulfill the enlightened activities; female tantric deities who protect and serve the Buddhist doctrine and practitioners. Also one of the “Three Roots.” 2) Female enlightened practitioner of Vajrayana.

Pelginyam is an auspicious day for renewal.

Siddhi is a state in which supernatural powers are obtained.

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