Day 2

Amaravati Buddhist Monastery - St. Albans - Cambridge

The day started off with community breakfast at the monastery, with the usual porridge, fruit and British rail tea. This breakfast happens once a week, on a moon day (new/full, and half moons) and we sit in our groups of monks, nuns, novices and lay people.  As it was full moon I had to recite my rules, so off I went and recited at full speed in the ancient language of Pali. Reciting my 10 rules for me is like starting again, as any minor breaking of rules is forgiven within the last two weeks. The monk I recited the rules to offered me some delicious maple syrup sweets.

So we packed our stuff in Ray's white van and set off towards St Albans where we would be dropped off and walk into St. Albans on foot. It was beautiful morning and we had a sunny walk into the outskirts of St. Albans even if we did get lost in the last mile or so up to the Cathedral.

We again were running out of time for me to eat and so Ray drove me into the centre where I got my bowl out to beg for my food. As time was short, I looked for the best place and so stood right outside Tesco and Burger King.

I was tired by then, it was cold and we had walked probably five miles. My mind shouted out give me food, yet I stood there quiet, looking down not making eye contact, no sign. I just meditated standing up....There I stood and after a short while a Thai woman came and got me some food and said that none of the other people would get me anything.... And then another a supporter of the monastery gave me food. I knew that I did not have enough food but I had to eat before so twelve so I walked towards St. Albans Cathedral where Alan had gone for Eucharist. I stopped to take a picture of this shop name - samana- which is a Pali word for wandering monk (more here)

  

As I was walking I meet Ray, and we walked together to St. Albans catherdral  we passed a chip shop, my heart leaped and mouth stayed shut. Then right outside catherdral was Thai Restaurant, my mind sunk as I could have tried begging outside. Anyway I resigned myself to eating what I had been given and then Ray said did I have enough I said no and left it with him. Within a few minutes my bowl had some chips and cheese pasty. I can tell you it did not last long in the bowl.

  

We entered the Church to find Alan at the end of Eucharist service, we seat at the back so as to not disturb anyone. As the service finished a man came up who was sitting next Alan at the service and said he knew me. He was the Chairman of Faith Regen a Muslim-inspired interfaith agency and had met me at a conference they had arranged on climate change. The first thing he had said was did I need anything to eat. It was another one of those moments.

We walked out, took a photo of the cathedral

 

and headed towards Letchworth to visit a small Buddhist Vihara (temple). Thankful we had a tom tom so we weaved our way towards a small housing estate, where the Vihara was. We knocked a few times and after a short while a Sri Lankan monk answered the door. For me there is always something beautiful about monks meeting, each monk puts their palms together over our heart area (have a look here), and a bow of the body.  We entered the house to find a sort of man-made cave and a huge Buddha image in the front room (you can see some pictures here) and the usual peace I've come to expect at such places.

Green tea appeared and very interesting talk happened about Western and Sri Lankan values and as how a Sri Lankan monk he felt he had to cover his robes when he went out with a jacket because he got some hassle and how I never felt this.  As we were leaving the Sri Lankan monk offered us food for the journey, my heart leaped again.... so onwards to the  outskirts of Cambridge in Ray's van to a beautiful path near Royston, where he dropped us, we walked across fields and then came into Cambridge through Grantchester meadows.

Alan had a old map so it did not have the M11 on it, so when we encountered it walking over a footbridge it was bit of surprise.  Anyway it was a beautiful winter's afternoon and we walked into town via Selwyn college, where we meet< Revd Hugh Shilson-Thomas (Dean of Chapel). Here's a picture of Alan outside in the university, where he studied.

 

 

It was getting late and we still had another 40 minute walk from the centre of town to the a buddhist family we where going to stay at. A text and call to Ray, and we were picked up from the town center. We had walked passed King's College Chapeland there was already a queue waiting to hear the choir. It was also 800 years of University of Cambridge.

Alan wanted to go back to Slewyn for Evensong and I had been invited to a Buddhist group in the evening to lead meditation. All went well, food, tea talking and then to sleep. Alan and myself shared a bedroom and by one o'clock Alan snoring had got to me, and I moved down stairs to sleep on the lounge floor.