A team of house leaders of the monastic
residential units were inspecting the monks’ quarters to fine any monks not
attending the monastic day long special debate session held for the outgoing
graduates of the year. When they entered the hostel, second hostel, housing
students form Russia and Mongolia, an elderly leader of the team happened to
witness or have a reading sense a monk hiding in a room with the door bolted
inside. He pushed it and knocked hard on it. No response.
He walked all around the hostel to reach
the back opened windows of the room. He peeped inside through the narrow gap
left by not fully veiled curtain and shouted at the figure on the bed, “Open
the door. Why didn’t you attend the session? Have you got a permission slip?”
No response but in a meditative posture holding a rosary in his right hand and
moving his lips as saying or reciting mantra in mute mode. He was sitting
cross-legged on the bed with eyes closed like in a deep concentration and his
head raised straight forward.
“Well, we will go and call the monastic
disciplinarian here”, he threatened.
The figure moved when hearing it that jolted
him to unbolt the door reluctantly. As the leader asked his name, admission
number and house section, he just prowled about the room in circling movement and
mumbling in a low thick voice, “My name, my name….is…..is…..ummmm…”
“If you don’t tell the truth, we are going
to call the disciplinarian here”.
“My name is….is…….Sopa…”
The leader noted it down on a piece of
paper and left the spot.
When they were leaving the hostel after
inspecting the first floor, the monk hastily approached the leader with a
permission slip written with pencil but with the disciplinarian’s stamp on it.
“I have got permission slip here”, he handed it with a deep sleepy look in his
eyes.
The leader peered at the old worn piece of
paper for a bit while and looked up to the monk’s face with a suspicious look.
“It seems to be not of today as it is worn one. Any how, we will take it to the
disciplinarian”.
The monk immediately pleaded with him after
hearing it. “No, no, please don’t take it to the disciplinarian”.
The monk was revealed and they all had a
hearty laugh.
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