Head Nun recently had a visitor from Thailand. He was a young Buddhist monk who was visiting temples and monasteries in South East Asia. He had a long, complicated Thai name, so he said we could just call him "Om". Om stayed at the temple for a week during which we became fast friends. He told me stories of his travels and also explained various aspects of the Buddha's teachings to me.
"I'm shall be visiting a monastery on a little island called "Dragon Island" not far from here. Why don't you come with me?" he asked.
I said I would love to come but he would have to get Head Nun's prior permission.
"I don't know, Om," said Head Nun doubtfully, when he asked her. "Vege Cat always gets into so much trouble every time he goes somewhere, maybe he shouldn't go with you."
Om saw the disappointed look on my face and appealed to Head Nun. "I will take good care of him and make sure he doesn't get into any scrapes," he said.
Head Nun finally relented and we left early the next day for Dragon Island. We had to take a small fishing boat from the mainland to the island and when we were in the boat, the fisherman told us of the myth associated with the island.
"It was believed in the olden days that a dragon guards and protects the island, hence the name "Dragon Island". Nobody has ever seen it but in recent months, on every 1st and 15th day of the lunar month, many people claimed that they have seen a huge dragon rise from the sea. It makes a peculiar wailing sound like it is crying and though people are terrified of it, it has never harmed anyone."
"Tomorrow is the 15th day of the 10th moon," I said. "Do you think we will see it?"
The fisherman shrugged. "Maybe yes, maybe no."
After about twenty minutes, we reached the island and I soon forgot about the mythical dragon as we made our way to the monastery. The Head Monk was there to greet us and we were shown to our rooms. I had a room facing the sea and I could clearly see the waves lapping on the seashore and hear the howling of the wind. I was indeed looking forward to our stay here and to participating in the monastery's spiritual programme.
On the evening of our first day at the monastery, Om and I decided to take a walk along the seashore. It was pleasantly cool and the sea was calm with hardly a ripple. A mist was beginning to form and as we walked along, Om softly chanted a mantra. Then, quite unexpectedly, the sea started getting rough; the water had turned a murky dark colour and waves splashed with a thunderous roar at our feet.
"We had better return to the monastery," said Om. "Looks like a storm is brewing."
As we retraced our steps to the monastery, we suddenly heard a loud roar and to our shock, saw a huge dragon burst from beneath the waves! Though I was still in a daze, I couldn't help noticing how beautiful it was. It had shiny blue scales with red, yellow and green trimmings and as it moved towards us, it emitted a sad, wailing sound and great big tears rolled down its cheeks and splashed into the water.
"It's the dragon the fisherman told us about! Look, it's crying, Om," I whispered in awe. Om was staring at the dragon with his mouth wide open and was unable to speak or move.
It cried again and then spoke. "Please help me ...my baby is very ill. Sometime ago when we were flying over the island, she dropped her pink pearl necklace into a lake in the middle of the island. She misses it very much and cries day and night for it. She won't eat or drink and I fear she may die soon. I have heard of your bravery and courage from the birds who stay near your temple. They told me you would be coming to Dragon Island and to seek your help."
I was stunned. It had never occurred to me that the birds from the temple knew what was going on every day and were capable of communicating with a dragon!
"But where is this lake?" I asked, finally managing to speak.
"The Head Monk will be able to tell you. I can't get near it as it is sheltered by many huge trees and I will get entangled in their branches. I have been waiting for many, many moons for someone to come and help me. Please, will you help me ...."
I hesitated. It cried again and looked at me with such big, sad eyes that I didn't have the heart to turn it down.
"Alright, we shall try our best to find the pearl necklace for you by tomorrow evening," I promised.
"Oh, thank you, thank you," cried the dragon, clasping its hands together. It then dived back into the sea and disappeared from sight.
"You're crazy, Da," said Om as we ran back to the monastery. "How could you have promised the dragon to find the lost necklace? We don't even know where to start!"
"We've got to help it, Om. Its baby is dying and we just cannot leave it like that! Don't worry, Lord Buddha will guide us."
Om said nothing but I knew he still thought I was out of my mind, and although I tried to sound as confident as I could, I knew it wasn't going to be easy ....
(To be continued)
"I'm shall be visiting a monastery on a little island called "Dragon Island" not far from here. Why don't you come with me?" he asked.
I said I would love to come but he would have to get Head Nun's prior permission.
"I don't know, Om," said Head Nun doubtfully, when he asked her. "Vege Cat always gets into so much trouble every time he goes somewhere, maybe he shouldn't go with you."
Om saw the disappointed look on my face and appealed to Head Nun. "I will take good care of him and make sure he doesn't get into any scrapes," he said.
Head Nun finally relented and we left early the next day for Dragon Island. We had to take a small fishing boat from the mainland to the island and when we were in the boat, the fisherman told us of the myth associated with the island.
"It was believed in the olden days that a dragon guards and protects the island, hence the name "Dragon Island". Nobody has ever seen it but in recent months, on every 1st and 15th day of the lunar month, many people claimed that they have seen a huge dragon rise from the sea. It makes a peculiar wailing sound like it is crying and though people are terrified of it, it has never harmed anyone."
"Tomorrow is the 15th day of the 10th moon," I said. "Do you think we will see it?"
The fisherman shrugged. "Maybe yes, maybe no."
After about twenty minutes, we reached the island and I soon forgot about the mythical dragon as we made our way to the monastery. The Head Monk was there to greet us and we were shown to our rooms. I had a room facing the sea and I could clearly see the waves lapping on the seashore and hear the howling of the wind. I was indeed looking forward to our stay here and to participating in the monastery's spiritual programme.
On the evening of our first day at the monastery, Om and I decided to take a walk along the seashore. It was pleasantly cool and the sea was calm with hardly a ripple. A mist was beginning to form and as we walked along, Om softly chanted a mantra. Then, quite unexpectedly, the sea started getting rough; the water had turned a murky dark colour and waves splashed with a thunderous roar at our feet.
"We had better return to the monastery," said Om. "Looks like a storm is brewing."
As we retraced our steps to the monastery, we suddenly heard a loud roar and to our shock, saw a huge dragon burst from beneath the waves! Though I was still in a daze, I couldn't help noticing how beautiful it was. It had shiny blue scales with red, yellow and green trimmings and as it moved towards us, it emitted a sad, wailing sound and great big tears rolled down its cheeks and splashed into the water.
"It's the dragon the fisherman told us about! Look, it's crying, Om," I whispered in awe. Om was staring at the dragon with his mouth wide open and was unable to speak or move.
It cried again and then spoke. "Please help me ...my baby is very ill. Sometime ago when we were flying over the island, she dropped her pink pearl necklace into a lake in the middle of the island. She misses it very much and cries day and night for it. She won't eat or drink and I fear she may die soon. I have heard of your bravery and courage from the birds who stay near your temple. They told me you would be coming to Dragon Island and to seek your help."
I was stunned. It had never occurred to me that the birds from the temple knew what was going on every day and were capable of communicating with a dragon!
"But where is this lake?" I asked, finally managing to speak.
"The Head Monk will be able to tell you. I can't get near it as it is sheltered by many huge trees and I will get entangled in their branches. I have been waiting for many, many moons for someone to come and help me. Please, will you help me ...."
I hesitated. It cried again and looked at me with such big, sad eyes that I didn't have the heart to turn it down.
"Alright, we shall try our best to find the pearl necklace for you by tomorrow evening," I promised.
"Oh, thank you, thank you," cried the dragon, clasping its hands together. It then dived back into the sea and disappeared from sight.
"You're crazy, Da," said Om as we ran back to the monastery. "How could you have promised the dragon to find the lost necklace? We don't even know where to start!"
"We've got to help it, Om. Its baby is dying and we just cannot leave it like that! Don't worry, Lord Buddha will guide us."
Om said nothing but I knew he still thought I was out of my mind, and although I tried to sound as confident as I could, I knew it wasn't going to be easy ....
(To be continued)
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| "Please help me ..." cried the dragon., great big tears rolling down its cheeks. |
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