Our school was unique in ways more than one. It provided more than a desk, pencil set, textbooks and teaching staffs. It was our home. We were a family of 300 plus boys and girls hailing from Brahmaputra valley, Khasi Hills and Lushai Hills.
When I sit back and ponder over the school days, I am strongly drawn towards the Bodhi tree and School bus above anything else. I could see that the Bodhi tree is standing sprightly with a bountiful of glossy spring leaves and the School bus next to it, bathing in the golden sunrays.
It resonates in my memory the sacred silas and chantings we offered under the candle-lit canopy of the Bodhi at dawn and twilight hours. The Bodhicariyan community portrayed a picture of devoted, peaceful, progressive dhammic unit at such hours. We prayed for happiness of all beings on the face of the planet. From a Buddhist perspective, the Bodhi tree stands for universal free spirit. It is joy, it embodies rejoice in cultivation of awareness and compassion towards one and all. Our dhamma teachers taught about wholesomeness and being skillful (kusala) and encouraged the practice of anapanasatti to devoid the minds of delusion and negative thoughts.
The school bus was a brand one in a blue coat. It was a palpable object of pride for the entire Bodhicariyan community though providence seemed to play a joke on it. Our school bus did not ply around collecting and dropping school-kids to their school gate; instead, it had our educators and administration staffs riding on it everyday thru out an academic year! During my days as a resident-pupil, it used to carry out four sorties every day ferrying the teaching staffs, delivering hostel rations including fresh vegetables, sacks of rice grains and etc. It rolled upon uneven, dusty carriageways winding across paddy fields, wetlands and several villages where it was uncommon to find any other vehicles. The school bus was indispensable just like one of the organs in our body.
Visit Bodhicariya portal located at : http://www.skskolkata.org/
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