10/28/01: RE-BIRTH

Buddhists believe that on the 49^th day following a person’s death, their soul is reborn into another body.   Tibetan Buddhists of New York and New Jersey held a Rebirth ceremony today in Union Square.  I went with Tracey, who has been studying Buddhism.

Several hundred Buddhists attended the ceremony.  We all sat on mats or pieces of cardboard on the asphalt at the North side of the Square, where the Farmers Markets are held.

A dozen monks and nuns led the two-hour ceremony, chanting prayers and performing the ritual horn blowing, changing of hats, folding and unfolding of cloths, pouring water from one vessel to another, burning incense.  I hadn’t the faintest idea what they were doing or saying and the pamphlets they handed out didn’t clarify anything since they were all in Tibetan.  But there were moments when it all seemed to make perfect sense to me.

Before the ceremony started, as people arrived, they gave offerings.  The offerings were stacked on the stage/altar behind the seated monks.  The offerings ranged from fruit and Costco-type muffins, to gum, granola bars and flowers.  Everything came in bulk.  No one brought just one pack of gum or bag of chips, but cases.  A lot of junk food, it seemed.  Not that I think Buddhists are healthier eaters than others, it just looked funny because the altar was so ornate and the monks wore beautiful red and yellow robes, holding delicate gold tea pots and other ceremonial accoutrements, while behind them were stacked cases of Cracker Jacks.  Toy Prize Inside!

Tracey regretted forgetting to bring offerings.  I said, well, I have cigarettes.  A man seated in front of us heard this and laughed.  Tracey said, you don’t think that would do?  And the man said no, that wouldn’t do.

When the ceremony ended, the junior monks bagged samples of all the offerings and handed them out to attendees.  They gave me a bag with assorted cookies, candies and a muffin.  So I got moments of serenity and a goody bag.  All in all, a fine ceremony!

When I got home I looked at the unfinished watercolor I was working on.  So far I had painted a blue sky, flames billowing from a Tower and a person floating up to the sky followed by three birds.  I finished painting the tower gray.  Inspired by the rebirth ceremony, I painted a flame-colored flower in the person’s hand and titled it “49^th Day: Rebirth”.

The painting is at once touching and funny to me, because the content is a source of tremendous personal emotion but drawing and painting are not talents of mine.  My painting looks like a nine year-old did it.  To avoid insulting nine year-olds, I should probably specify that it looks like a painting I would have made when I was nine.  In fact, I had heard on the news that New York schools were encouraging children to paint their visions of September 11 as therapy, which I thought was a good idea for me, too.  So as therapy for my nine year-old inner child, it’s only appropriate that my painting is at that level.

Here’s to a healthy, happy and abundant next life for all those killed one stunningly beautiful day in a senseless evil act.