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On the Buddha Trail (4 microhaibun)
Micro Haibun and photos by Geethanjali Rajan
Ayutthayya
The headless Buddha statue sits in Padmasana. What gesture were his hands holding when the marauders had chopped off the arms?
the teacher speaks
of balancing the elements
Dhyana mudra
Centuries later, still exposed to rain, wind and sun, the idol rests in meditation.
Ibaraki
I am in a state of complete amazement as we enter the tallest standing bronze Buddha, the Ushiku Daibutsu (around 120m), in an elevator. We look outside at the landscape of the Kanto plains from inside the idol.
all-seeing
a benign smile
from the old monk
Bangkok
On the Chao Praya river, the evening cruise brings a welcome breeze to the stifling heat. Slowly, the city begins to twinkle and suddenly, the majestic temple of Wat Arun appears, lit in golden resplendence.
oohs and ahs
in unison
the cameras flash
Bylakuppe
At the Nandroling monastery, we enter the hall of the Golden Temple to pray to the 60-feet tall and bejeweled figures of Sakhyamuni, Guru Padmasambhava and Buddha Amitayus. They smile benignly at a car-sick, dizzy and dehydrated me.
sphatika prayer beads
a hint of coolness
in the noon stillness
Cafe Haiku 