2005 Pilgrimage to Chung Tai Chan Monastery 　　It was our first visit to Taiwan. Growing up in Russia, we didn't know about a country called "Taiwan". Once in the 1980s, I noticed an electronics label "Made in Taiwan" and wondered about it. "It's just an island"——I was told. Islands fascinate me, because as a child I read a lot about treasures and travels in adventure stories of Jules Verne. Now as devoted disciples of Chung Tai Zen Center of Sunnyvale, we recognize different treasures. We were fortunate to join a group of disciples from Sunnyvale on the annual pilgrimage trip to Taiwan. On the plane from Bangkok to Taipei, I experienced quiet and joyful anticipation of a long-awaited reunion. It seemed that I was to be reunited with something I got separated from very long time ago, much longer than my life. 　　From the very first moment in Taipei, we received great attention and care. Each meeting or visit could be a subject of a separate story, and I have to be brief. 　　Day 1. The moment I stepped out of the bus in Puli, I felt the aroma in the air. I know that aroma very well from Russian Churches, where they burn so-called ladan for purification. In Chung Tai, the aroma was everywhere, which told how sacred the place was. One immediately understands that in Chung Tai everything exceeds expectations. Every job is done with great dedication and love. As we toured the building, I wondered what kind of mind it took to create a building like this, and what kind of spirit was necessary to raise it. 　　That afternoon, we attended a ceremony that was presided by the Grandmaster and it was very joyful to be there. 　　Day 2. After waking up at 4:30, I attended a ceremony. I was supposed to do chanting from a booklet but I would get lost all the time. I could observe how mind was clinging to the text as I thought—— "Wait. Stop it. I'll find that syllable." For me, it was a lesson in letting go——of course the service would not stop and neither would life. 　　That afternoon we took the Three Refuges with the Grandmaster. Despite the huge crowd, it was a very personal experience for me——as the rows were distributed for people to come in front of him, I went exactly in the middle on the front row and he looked into my eyes. I felt very happy. 　　Later that night, we attended a 3-hour service for hungry ghosts. It felt solemn but I didn't feel 3 hours. My thoughts were about my elderly parents. 　　Day 3. At a local paper factory, we learned how the paper is made. The paper is made with sweat. Just like 5 contemplations about food in Buddhism, we need to contemplate where the paper comes from——a lot of hard work and we waste it so easily. 　　We also visited Pu Tai Elementary and Junior High School. It was obvious that great world leadership is soon to come up from the place like that. We hoped that one day we could contribute to setting up a program to allow some students from Russia to study here and bring the teaching to Russia. 　　Day 4. We left Chung Tai and set out for Taipei. On the bus, I had a lot of vexations. But instead of turning away from them, I could observe them and question them rationally. 　　In Taipei, we visited the Zen Center and one of the volunteers accompanied us to the National Museum. My strongest impression was from looking at wooden Buddha statues. Looking at the statues made me connect to those old times, I thought those perhaps were the times when more people used to get enlightened in front of these statutes. 　　Day 5. That night we spent in a monastery where the Grandmaster was ordained. The monastery seemed to be situated above the clouds. It was a very compact and old structure. My sleep was very deep and peaceful there. In the morning, we had a service and a meditation at the Chan Hall. We toured the monastery and observed the statue of the Master Empty Cloud. His image looked very familiar. I might have read about him in a book about Chan Buddhism in Russia at the end of the eighties. 　　Just a couple of hours later, we went to a beautiful small monastery in the forest. It was the first one that Grandmaster built himself. We walked around, listened to the sound of the creeks. The place felt very warm and cozy. The Buddha in the Zen Hall was reclining. For some reason the moment of Buddha's nirvana was very easy to feel here. That day I was inside a Chan hall for the first time and experienced a walking meditation. 　　I discovered that the mind didn't need to rush even though the pace was getting faster and faster——a very useful secret for the Silicon Valley. But most importantly, I could come to an absolute stop when the stop signal came in. I discovered the emptiness. It seemed almost too easy and it lasted for several minutes. And it was very joyful. 　　Day 6-9. The trip to Thailand provided an overview of a very old and very new Theravadin Buddhism. We visited some very special places, and received many blessings including little threads that came from the clothing offered to the Buddha and especially how fortunate we were to meet with the Deputy Sangha King, one of the spiritual leaders of Thailand and to receive his blessing as well. 　　Although the pilgrimage trip was over, my future, a new trip, suddenly became clear. 　　中台朝圣的因缘，第一次来到台湾。从小在俄国长大，不曾听过“台湾”这个国家。1980那一年，看到一个电子产品上写着“台湾制”，十分好奇。听说“台湾是个岛屿”，孩童时代读了许多寻宝故事，对岛屿充满向往之情。如今，身为太谷精舍的学员，学会了辨别与世间不同的宝藏。此次参加“年度朝圣团”，从曼谷飞往台北的机上，沉浸在一股即将归家的宁静与喜悦之中，宛如期待已久的重逢，一切恍如隔世。 　　从踏上台湾的那一刻起，我们受到了许多关心与照顾。每次的参访行程，足以写成一篇篇的旅游札记，在此简略记叙如下： 　　第一天初抵埔里，踏出车外的刹那，一阵清香扑鼻而来。熟悉的味道，正如同俄国教堂里薰烧ladan净化殿堂的香味。中台处处弥漫着这股气味，像在诉说着这块净地多么的神圣。身历其中，立即感受到中台的一切无一不令人惊喜，大大小小的成就，皆源自于大众的发心与爱心。参访殿堂时，不禁想着：是什么样的心念创造了这样一座建筑？又是什么样的信念使它屹立不坠？下午，参加了　老和尚主持的法会，内心法喜充满。 　　次日清晨参加早课，可是却跟不上唱诵。“等一等，停一下我才跟得上！”──这样的念头才兴起，赫然发现自己多么执着──现实中的早课不会为自己停下来，真实的人生亦然。要学习放下。 　　下午，皈依了　老和尚。尽管置身于一片拥挤的人群，却独有如此深刻的经验──轮到我们向前排班时，刚好就站在前排正中央，一抬头见到　老和尚正看着自己，感到分外高兴。 晚上，参加大蒙山法会，庄严肃穆，全程专注想着年迈的双亲，倒不觉得有三小时这么久。 　　第三天，参观纸工厂了解造纸的过程。原来纸张得之不易，诚如佛法中要“食存五观”的道理，也当思惟纸从何来──来自于许多人的辛苦付出，然而我们却不懂得惜福。我们又参观了普台国民中小学。显而易见，世界未来的领袖就是从像这样的学校教育栽培而成。希望有一天，我们能够成就俄国的学生来这里学习，然后把普台的教育理念带回到俄国。 　　第四天，离开中台前往台北。在车上起了些烦恼，但是却没有逃避，反而看着烦恼，冷静地思惟分析。抵达台北，我们参观了故宫博物院。印象最深刻的，是一尊尊的木雕佛像。看着这些佛像，如同走进古老年代，也许那时候比较多人在佛像前开悟吧！ 　　这一天， 我们在　老和尚受具足戒的大觉寺里度过了一晚。寺院像是一座矗立于云端上的古刹。那晚睡得特别安详。隔天在禅堂上早课、静坐。之后四处参观，见到　虚云老和尚的雕像时倍觉亲切，大概是因为曾在俄国一本禅宗书上读过　虚云老和尚的事迹吧！ 　　几个小时后，我们进入了森林里一座小而幽雅的寺院。这是　老和尚亲手建造的第一间寺院。漫步其中，聆听潺潺的溪水声流，令人心旷神怡。看着禅堂里的卧佛，似乎自然而然地就能意会佛陀的涅?寂静。 　　那天也是第一次进到禅堂行香。自己发现：即使步伐越来越快，心念却可以不用跟着急躁──这对矽谷人很有帮助。当站板乍响的瞬间，自己能够完全停住不动，当下并轻而易举地感受到空的境界，而且持续了几分钟，这感觉十分愉悦。 　　最后四天是泰国之旅，让我们对新、旧南传佛教有整体的认识。参访了几处特别的地方，收到许多祝福，包括来自供养佛陀的哈达上面的小丝线。特别的是我们很有福报，和泰国第二精神领袖副僧王会面，并且获得他的祝愿。 　　朝圣之旅虽然结束了，我的未来──另一趟崭新的旅程，却霎时明亮鲜活了起来！