200-Time 2 - Buddhism in daily life

Time 2

The (partial) move to DengFeng brought me back into contact with civilization somewhat; a long time had passed in which I lived only according to the events in the temple, getting up, washing, devotion, breakfast, training, noon, training, washing, eating, sleeping.

Suddenly all the fancy things that seemed already forgotten came back to me; alcohol and parties, women and travel, money and luxury had come back into my life. You don't get rid of these habits so easily.

Having a real shower was an indescribable luxury, even if the water wasn't always warm, having a real bed was incredible, but what was really special were the windows, where there was glass and not paper. As a Central European, you can't even imagine what something like that could be like, such a simple life. But I was fully in it, but now with some amenities.

The training was in the temple, sometimes my master and I slept there, sometimes we went with someone and spent the night in the small town, just as it suited.

Finally I was able to wash my clothes with warm water, a huge difference, by the way, clearly distinguishable by the smell. The simple life has very serious disadvantages, "one" starts to smell, no matter what "one" tries to do against it.

But what became clearer and clearer, I (also) wanted to go back to Europe, I became more and more aware that I didn't want to spend my whole existence here. My parents asked more and more clearly during the weekly phone calls when I was planning to come home again. And I began to miss the most ordinary things, especially German bread sought me out even in my dreams.

Cautiously I began to prepare my new friend (and master) for the coming farewell, more and more often the conversation came "to my time in Germany", whether I would train well there, Yan Zi asked me. It was already clear to me at this time that under no circumstances would I train eight hours a day in Europe, the possibility did not exist here. But I promised my master to practice as often as possible. Even then I knew deep inside that I would not do that. But I wanted to continue to train. In what form, we would see.

The farewell was just around the corner, that was noticeable, the mood became queasy. Wistfulness spread, we were a good team, we got along first class, who knows what the future will bring, whether we may meet again. Today my master Shi Yan Zi runs Shaolin Temple London, but back then we didn't know if we would ever see each other again. The cover picture of this post is the farewell picture with my master and a friend in front of the temple, my master got my sunglasses, a souvenir of our time together.

Preparations for my departure were made, we informed the Grand Master Shi Yong Xin (now the abbot of the temple), the day was approaching. Before I knew it I was in a cab, then on my way to Beijing. There I booked myself into a luxury American hotel at the airport and sat down in the restaurant where I filled my belly for over two hundred dollars. Never in my life have I eaten so much again, I was so hungry.

From there I got a connection to Germany where my family picked me up at the airport. I felt like I was in a fake movie, the experience was surreal.

The road was and is my goal!

Find a circuit that I would not have passed through on my long journeys yet

- Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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