Inaugurating a Buddha

connected by karmic string
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After a fitful semi-sleep in the nightbus to Vientiane, the capital of Lao, I arrive at 5.30 am and share a tuk-tuk with the lovely B, with whom I would end up travelling for 2 weeks. In was 'no room at the inn' everywhere we went so we ended up sharing a room and being somewhat comatose the next day. Come saturday I decide to try join the meditation class in one of the wats on the edge of town where they also have massage and lovely wooden steam room - bliss. However, the head honcho isnt there to guide the meditation because all the monks and nuns in the city have headed outta town to participate in the all night vigil to inaugurate a new wat and new buddha statue.... a motley collection of strangers, myself included decide to head along.... we must be dressed in white however, a fact i forget to mention to Bea - whoops! fortunately our lovely host who is driving us brings some spare white items and I had just picked up my laundry...  we drive into the night arriving at 11pm to an incredible sight - hundreds of lao women (mainly)  sitting by candlelight in and around  the temple, webs of white cotton are strung between everyone, representing the karmic connection between everyone. its quite a sight. We are the only non-locals.We are blessed by the resident monk and go and get a place to sit.....just as one meditation session ends...to be resumed at 4am. whoops! we semi slumber and then start meditating - although im feeling ridiculously fidgetty. After a while its time to eat, outside a huge operation has been taking place so that just before dawn there is a veritable feast available for all to thank us all for blessing the buddha statue and charging it  up with good energy. I feel slightly guilty as I tuck into my second plate of food as my meditation hadnt been as focussed is it could have been. We then make a donation and in return are given sheets of metal foil on which to write our names and birthdays  - these will be melted together and used to make the buddha statue's gold covering. Just as we are about to leave, our host's auntie who is a nun at the temple asks me if i had a good meditation. I think my eyes belied my response so we were taken to her privte room for some more meditation - at least I felt like I earned my morning breakfast - not sure the others quite needed it but hey...

sitting by candlelight